The Soul Keeper
by Excillian
Summary: *COMPLETE*- A necklace called the Soul Keeper has wound up in Draco's hands, and is beginning to show it's true colors. As Ginny helps him overcome its evils, the 2 form a close bond, but how can it survive when he is forced to offer Ginny as a sacrifice?
1. Flying, Trouble, and Detention

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Disclaimer: I own nothing. JKR owns all the characters, blah blah blah, you all know this part. The only thing I might own is the plot and my unique( I like to think) writing style. If there is another story out there like this, I did not intend to steal anything, I haven't read anything like this one before. My apologies if this story is similar to another. 

This chapter is dedicated to my beta-reader, Shy Unicorn. Thank you very much for all your encouragement and help. 

Chapter 1 

Flying, Trouble, and Detention

The rain poured down in fine sheets, drenching everything unfortunate enough to be stuck out in it. Even Draco himself. It had started out as a light sprinkle, but had steadily progressed into a blinding downpour. Cursing mentally, Draco raised his hands and gave the signal for the rest of the team to land. They couldn't possibly play Quidditch in this mess. Then, realizing his stupidity, he raised his voice and yelled the order. When he landed, he realized that it had been a useless effort anyway; the rest of the team was already on the ground waiting for him. " I'll reschedule practice and inform you of the time later!" He shouted, trying to be heard above the now-shrieking wind. When the other Slytherins just shook their heads at him, he knew that that was not going to work either. Motioning with his hands, he ordered them to go to the locker room. Once they were all inside, Draco surveyed his wet and miserable-looking team. Only the fact that they were Slytherins and therefore did not show weakness held off any complaints. " I'll reschedule practice and inform everyone of the date and time." He restated. "For now, you're free to go." He started to walk off and then hesitated when he saw that they were all still standing there staring at him. "What?" He asked irritably as he turned back around. He was soaked to the bone and freezing; all he wanted to do was go and change into some dry clothes. _Why are they holding me up? _"Well? Are you all going to just stand there speechless?" His face had taken on a definite now-I'm-ticked-off look.

" Um…Draco?" It was Pansy Parkinson who had spoken.

When she stopped uncertainly, Draco barely contained his impatience. " Yes, Pansy?" He ground out. _God, my Slytherin housemates. _ _They can be _so_ irritating. Why did it take me so long to notice?_

"No one brought the game balls in." 

The whole team waited silently for the explosion they were sure would follow this announcement. It never came. Instead, Draco-much to the surprise of the others- gave a resigned sigh. " Why am I not surprised?" He muttered under his breath. To the rest of the team, he simply said, " Alright, as I'm team captain, the rest of you can go on back. I'll take care of the balls." 

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Besides, it's not like any of them would actually be able to complete the task. Draco had learned the hard way that if you wanted something done, it was best to do it yourself. 

For a moment the team stood in silence, then Pansy spoke out angrily, " What do you mean, _you'll_ do it? Get one of these other morons to grab the balls." Her lower lip came out in her version of what she imagined to be a pretty pout. " I was hoping that you and I could… spend some time together." Her voice was falsely innocent as she gazed compellingly at him. 

__

Imagine, he thought to himself, _last year I would have went for that pathetic expression unerringly._ He sighed again. " Not today, Pansy, it's my responsibility to make sure that all the equipment gets put up." 

Her pout turned into a sneer. " Since when do _you_ care about responsibility?" She snapped.

Draco, aware that the rest of the team was watching interestedly, gripped Pansy's arm none-to-gently and pulled her out of hearing range. " Since now." He said forcibly. Seeing that she was about to open her mouth again, he pulled her to him and silenced her with his lips. Pulling away almost instantly, he looked imploringly at her. " Now go on with the rest of the team. I can't have all my players' ill." He started to walk away again, when she grabbed his arm.

" Later?" She asked coyly, looking up at him from behind her lashes. 

He groaned inwardly. " Later." He promised wearily. After making sure that she went out with the rest of the team, he made his way back to the entrance to the Quidditch pitch. Pulling off his dripping, heavy robe, he let it drop to the floor; it would only slow him down and hinder his movements. Then, hopping gracefully onto his new Ellixander Escape broomstick-that provided first-class, unerring, flying action-Draco took to the sky. He quickly realized that this was _not _going to be any sort of picnic. The sky was growing darker by the minute, and the torrent of rain showed no sign of letting up. After ten minutes of searching, without any sign of the bludgers or the golden snitch, Draco seriously considered giving up. Then he discovered that he actually liked flying in the storm. It gave him a sense of freedom and wildness that he'd never experienced before. It was an amazing feeling to have the wind rushing through his hair, and the rain pelting down on him. Some of the drops stung, but this was easily ignored in the sheer joy of it. Lightning flared across the sky, and thunder shook the ground and rumbled, getting louder with every new burst. But he wasn't on the ground.

He continued flying, not noticing as the time literally " flew" by. Not even noticing how cold he was becoming, or that his hands and feet were growing ice cold, along with his nose and the tips of his ears…  


**********************************************

Ginny Weasley cringed as another streak of lightning seemingly split the air in two and thunder crashed. She could tell that the storm was coming closer every minute, and that it was proving to be a very fierce one. Trying to concentrate on her homework, she kept being interrupted by the quick bursts of light coming from the window. Giving up, she left her homework open on the table and made her way across the room to the window seat. If she couldn't do her homework because of the storm, then she might as well enjoy watching it. Sinking into the seat's soft cushions with a tired sigh, she glanced briefly around the common room. _Is anyone else still up this late? _Seeing no one in sight, she decided that everyone else had probably went to bed a fairly long time ago. It was eleven-thirty, after all. Satisfied that there was no one else about, she began singing softly to herself as she watched the flashing light display. " I see dark clouds out my window. I know a storm is coming any minute. The thunder just confirms my fears. And I know that you are out there in it-" She was suddenly cut off by a shocked gasp. Her own. She stared silently out the window, searching insistently for the dark form that she was positive she had seen fly by. But it was gone, lost in the mist and pouring rain. She was about to resume singing again, thinking it was just her eyes playing tricks on her, when a thought occurred to her. The window she was at looked out over the Quidditch Pitch. Was it possible that some stupid, foolish student was out flying, in this weather? Although she was fairly certain that no one could be that idiotic, the thought lingered. Knowing that she would get no peace now that she had allowed that thought to enter her head, she got up to grab her cloak, a small sigh escaping her. Now she would have to face the drenching, freezing rain, just to satisfy her sense of duty, and-she had to admit-her curiosity. Plodding quietly up to the 6th year girls' dormitories, she grabbed her broomstick, an older Nimbus 2000 that she had received last year for Christmas. Not the most advanced model, but certainly flyable. She crept carefully back down the stairs and into the Gryffindor common room. Unhooking the latch on the window, she swung it open, and was immediately greeted by the tug of the furious wind and the splattering rain. " That blasted wind would be blowing this way, wouldn't it?" She grumbled to herself. _Oh well, I suppose it could be worse. I'm going to get soaked anyway._ Now she would just have to make sure that she cleaned up the puddle of water that was steadily growing on the floor. _Nothing for it I suppose, _she thought as she launched herself out the window into the stormy sky. After flying for just moments, her path to the Quidditch field made crazily zig-zagged, she began to get angry at herself. _Just had to appease your curiosity, didn't you Ginny?_ She couldn't help thinking. _Now look at the mess your stuck in. _ She considered going back, but decided that now she was out here she might as well conduct an accurate search. At least for a few minutes. Fighting the raging wind she continued on. Just when she thought that the dark form must have just been a trick of her eyes, she saw it again. Except this time it was closer. Making her way towards it, she bit her lip to keep from cursing her slow progress. What was worse, it seemed that the dark figure had a better broom and was moving away from her. She tried yelling, but that did no good. She was becoming increasingly frustrated when she hit upon another idea. Taking her wand out of her pocket, she whispered the words of a freezing spell and by some stroke of luck, managed to hit the rapidly retreating figure. Putting her wand away, she urged her broom forward, grinning goofily when she actually caught the other flier. Gripping

the back of their broomstick to make sure that whoever it was didn't get away, she took out her wand and undid the spell. Instantly the broom tried to dart off again, but at least this time she was dragged along with it. 

" Hey! What the-!" Ginny recognized the indignant voice, even over the noise of the storm. Whatever the boy had been about to say though died on his lips as he turned around and saw who it was that was holding onto his broomstick. Ginny suddenly-thought not completely unexpectedly- found herself face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy. 

***************************************** 

" Hey, what the-!" Draco froze, and for just a second, something close to astonishment seemed to pass across his features. But it was just a flicker of emotion, and it quickly disappeared behind the expressionless mask he usually wore. Much calmer now, when he spoke his voice was as cold as the freezing rain. " What do you think your doing, Weasley?" He sneered.

Ginny stared blankly at him for a minute, then hastily let go of his broom. He remained hovering beside her though, obviously waiting for an explanation. Suddenly, the horrible sneer on his face was too much for Ginny. And the way he had spit out the word Weasley. Like it was some kind of curse! " Well," She snapped back, her temper getting the better of her, " I was coming to see what sort of idiot was out here in this kind of weather and warn them to go in before they got sick, but seeing how it's you, I think I'll just let you stay." She was glaring at him furiously, her face red, not from blushing, but because she was having to yell to make herself heard over the screaming wind. 

For a second, Draco just stared at her speechlessly, but it wasn't long before he recovered his wits. " Well if I'm an idiot for being out here, what does that make you?" He was smirking now, a look of complete and utter confidence on his face. He knew he had her there. And his smirk only increased as he saw her face turn an even more brilliant shade of red, and this time they both knew it wasn't from yelling. 

Ginny spluttered for a moment, completely at a loss for what to say. " See if I ever try to do anything nice for you again, Draco Malfoy." She finally managed to spit out before turning her broom and pointing it back towards the common room. 

But Draco wasn't ready to let her go that easy. To tell the truth, he was quite enjoying the little verbal match they were having. "The way I see it, you didn't know it was me out here, so technically, you weren't trying do anything nice for _me_ to begin with." He pointed out. 

Ginny had thought she couldn't get any madder. She knew that there was no way that Draco Malfoy could possibly make her any angrier than he already had for the past six years of her life. She was wrong. Dead wrong. Maybe it was the storm, or the way she was frozen solid from the icy rain. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the way he had put on that arrogant smirk he was taunting her. Either way, it really didn't matter. What mattered was that one second she was on her way back to the common room, and the next she had turned around and wiped that smirk right off his face. Literally. 

Weasley temper. That's what she told herself it was later as she was sitting in the hospital wing. She had let her temper get the better of her, and now look where she was. In the hospital wing waiting for Malfoy to wake up so she could apologize. Silently Ginny cursed her red hair. This was definitely _not_ her cup of tea. But she felt kind of bad about the whole shoving-Malfoy-off-his-broom thing. Luckily, they really hadn't been that far above the ground, so he hadn't been hurt too bad. Just a broken arm. But honestly, in the wizarding world, that took all of two seconds to fix. Still, she felt that she ought to apologize. Even if he had provoked her, she wasn't going to stoop to his level by throwing out all her decency. She was going to tell him she was sorry, and that was that. _Now all I have to do is manage not to choke on my own tongue while I'm at it,_ she thought darkly. But that wasn't the worst of her troubles. Oh no, not only was her conscience forcing her to apologize, the Headmaster was giving both her _and_ Malfoy detention. Together. Ginny really didn't see how things could possibly get any worse. _Which proves once again that I don't know anything._ For it was that exact moment when Mr. Malfoy decided to wake up. _Oh shit, _was the first thing that came to mind.

Draco lay with his eyes closed for a few moments, trying to remember where he was and what was going on. For some reason, his right arm felt really strange, like it should hurt, but it didn't.. He didn't have time to contemplate on that though, because just then, memory came rushing back on him like a tidal wave. He remembered being in the storm, and the rain pouring down on him, soaking him to the bone. And then he remembered someone grabbing onto his broomstick and snapping him out of the trance that he seemed to have been in. At first he couldn't remember who that person was, the picture in his mind was kind of fuzzy. Draco opened his eyes and sat up in the bed, trying to figure out where he was. And suddenly that image became perfectly clear. The person was sitting right beside of him. Ginny Weasley. _That little git pushed me off my broom! _ For about five seconds his brain wouldn't process this thought, it just kept running it over and over through his mind. When he did finally comprehend what it was saying, his face contorted in fury and he threw out the first thing that popped into his " _You_ pushed me off my broom."

For a second Ginny just stared at him. Then she promptly burst out laughing.

Draco was a bit taken back. Never in his entire life could he remember anyone laughing at him like this. Quickly making his face emotionless, he asked her, trying desperately to keep his calm, " Just _what_ is so amusing, Weasley?" He knew his voice sounded strained, but really, she was getting on his last nerve. Draco had never been an extremely patient person, and he could absolutely not stand for someone to laugh at him.

It was a minute or two before Ginny could answer though. She was bent over double in her chair laughing so hard she was crying. When she could finally speak again, she looked up and met his eyes, still smiling. " It was just-your face," She tried to explain. " When you realized that you had been pushed off your broom by a girl. And-a Weasley-at that." Ginny was starting to laugh again. She couldn't seem to help it. " I-could practically see-the wheels turning in your head-while you were trying to-figure it out." Ginny had to stop, she was convulsed in laughter again.

Draco however was _not _laughing. " I for one do not find it funny in the slightest." His normal, controlled tone was back, all hint of feeling gone from his eyes, and he was looking at her with a bored expression. " What are you doing here anyway? It seems highly doubtful that you were sitting here mourning your actions." He raised an eyebrow at her. " You weren't were you?"

" Of course not," Ginny scoffed. " I don't regret pushing you off at all." She met his eyes squarely, tilting her head up in a gesture of defiance. She was fairly certain that he couldn't tell that he wasn't far from the truth. At least, she hoped not.

" Then what are you doing here?" He asked again. 

" I was- I wanted to-" She stuttered. Apologizing to Draco in person seemed a lot harder than it had when she had practiced it in her head just a few minutes ago.

" Yes?" He asked. When she still didn't continue, he began to get irritated. " For God's sake, just spit it out!"

Ginny tried again. This time, she concentrated intensely on her shoes as she spoke. " I came to tell you I was sorry for pushing you off your broom." She paused for a second, waiting for his reaction. When he didn't do anything, she hastily continued. " I really didn't plan on doing that, you know." Still not receiving any response from him, she glanced up quickly, only to find him staring at her in an odd and sort of disconcerting way. For a second, she actually thought he would say something like " Oh, that's okay, Ginny. No harm done." or something of the sort. 

Instead, when he did speak, it was in his usual toneless voice. " Could have fooled me. I could almost swear that I heard you say something along the lines of 'I don't regret pushing you off at all' just a moment ago." 

Was Draco making a dry attempt at humor? Ginny wasn't sure. " I'm not sorry." She said in perfect honesty. 

Draco looked away. He seemed almost…disappointed?

" But that doesn't mean that my conscience is going to let me off so easy." Ginny finished. 

Draco jerked his gaze upward. Did that mean she was sorry? He wasn't sure, but he wasn't about to ask her. Why did he care anyway? _It really shouldn't make any difference to me_, he thought. Shaking his head, he shrugged off that thought. " Okay," He said flatly. " You've satisfied your conscience, so why are you still here?" 

" Because I have some other, less thrilling news." She told him simply.

" Really?" Draco replied dryly. " I wasn't aware that your other statement was at all _thrilling_." His smirk was back.

Ginny flushed, her smile disappearing. She had been going to break the news gently, but now that he had returned to his earlier humor, she figured she might as well just be direct. "You have detention for the next week-with me."

Draco's eyes widened in surprise. " Together?" 

Ginny rolled her eyes. " That's what I said."

" But why do _I_ have detention? _You're_ the one who pushed me."

He was glaring at her now, his eyes narrowed. 

" If you'll remember," she told him, " We were both out flying at night, which is against the rules." It was her turn to smirk now.

" You mean you didn't get in trouble at all for pushing me?" His voice was indignant. She should have gotten an extra detention for that at least.

Ginny's smile widened. " See, the thing is, Malfoy," her tone was sickeningly sweet. " They don't know I pushed you. I told them a gust of wind blew you off your broom."

" You what?" He could not be hearing this. No way did Weasley just say that everyone thinks some wind blew him off his broom. This was unbelievable! He was going to strangle that girl. _At least I would if I knew I could get away with it._ He opened his mouth to say something else, but Ginny was already heading for the door. " Night, Malfoy," she called over her shoulder. " Sweet dreams."

He didn't have time to get a single word out before the door swung shut behind her. What did she mean goodnight? He glanced out the window and saw that it was still dark. The clock on the wall told him that it was only half past three. Heaving a sigh, he threw himself back down on the bed. He might as well get some sleep while he could. Tomorrow he was going to have to try to salvage the reputation he would get when everyone heard that he had supposedly fallen off his broom in a gust of wind. _And if that's not enough,_ he grumbled to himself,_ I have detention for a week with that…that…plague on man._

As Ginny exited the room, she couldn't help but smile triumphantly. For once in her life, she had gotten the better of Draco Malfoy. It felt great. Of course, she wasn't nearly as mean as she had pretended to be. Right now Draco was probably in there trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say to everyone who knew-or thought they knew-that he had fallen off his broom. But Ginny had one more trick to play. No one except the teachers even knew what had happened that night. The rest of the students would never know. She grinned just thinking about the shock Draco was going to get when he realized that. It would be a relieved shock though. As she walked down the hallway, she decided that things were turning out alright after all. When she had first went in there to apologize to him, she had been sure that things were going to go horribly. Then in a stroke of brilliance, she had come up with the plan of annoying him as much as possible. Of course, she hadn't known exactly what that would include until the conversation had started. Everything had just kind of went from there. What Draco didn't know yet was that she actually did have an extra week of detention for pushing him off. She had lied about that part. Besides the detention, she had also received a serious talk from Dumbledore about how dangerous it was to push someone off their broomstick, even when that someone was a Malfoy. Of course, then the Headmaster had almost ruined the soberness of the whole discussion because he had had to bit his lip and turn away to keep from laughing. So much for seriousness. Now that she was on her own, Ginny became aware of just how sleepy she was. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all, unlike Draco, who had gotten several hours already. Come to think of it, there was another surprise for Draco in the morning. _I must be so good at this annoying business that I do it subconsciously. _The only reason that he wasn't back in his own bed right now was because he had had to be cured of a cold that Madame Pomfrey was certain had come from flying around in the rain for hours. He would be just fine in the morning though, and could go back to his own dorm. After he was forced to swallow another dose of Madame Pomfrey's dreaded Curing Concoction. Draco was going to _love _that. Ginny pulled herself out of her thoughts when she found that she had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady that marked the entrance into the Gryffindor common room. She mumbled the password-jellybeans- and stumbled into the room. Her feet dragging, she barely made her way up the stairs. She was almost asleep on her feet. Somehow she found herself lying in bed a couple of minutes later, just seconds from sleep. The last thought that passed through her mind was one that had taken her awhile to register; _Oh my God, I have detention with Draco Malfoy for a week!_

A/N: The next chapter will be out very shortly, I have almost finished touching it up. This is my very first fic, so please read and review it. All comments are appreciated, but please don't be too harsh. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them. The next chapter is longer, and we move farther along in the plot. Hopefully it will prove that I do indeed _have_ a plot (I do, honest). I try to keep the characters in character as much as possible, please let me know how I'm doing. 

Thanks,

Excillian 


	2. The Jars

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zip. JKR owns it all. Unfortunately. Or maybe not so unfortunately since no one else could do nearly the job she does writing us all those great books. ( I don't think I'd be blamed if I said I wished she'd hurry the new one along though.)

Chapter 2: The Jars

To say that Draco was having a bad day would be the understatement of the year. Even now, at almost seven o'clock, it had still not improved. Nor had his mood. Of course, this might have been in his favor since he was about to have detention with that Weasley girl. She would most likely need a few sharp remarks and insults, and he was in just the temperament to deliver them. With pleasure.

It had all began this morning when he had woken up with a pounding headache. He also found himself with a runny nose and a slight cough. A cold. He really shouldn't have been surprised. He was out in the rain for hours last night. Not very wise of him, he had the grace to admit. Even if only to himself. That wasn't what had made his morning so horrible though. A cold. Fine, he could deal with that. Madame Pomfrey's remedy? That was a bit worse. Okay, a lot worse. 

It had to be the foulest tasting stuff on the planet, Draco was sure of it. After he had been forced to gag the potion down, he had discovered that it was already past nine o'clock, which led to the one bright spot of his day. He was being excused from his first class on account of his cold. That was a relief. He had gotten so caught up in flying last night that he hadn't had time to do his History of Magic essay. At least he had an extra day to finish that. 

His momentary relief over his essay was soon squashed when a familiar, and not at all welcome figure entered the hospital wing. Draco had just finished pulling his clothes on and was snapping his boots into place when he heard Dumbledore's irritatingly cheerful voice. His nose curling up in disfavor, Draco silently hoped that the Headmaster was not there to see him. This hope was proved futile when a few minutes later the curtains that had been drawn around his bed were pulled back, revealing the smiling face of Hogwarts' most famous Headmaster. 

"Good morning, Draco."

Draco's head came up warily, his eyes carefully observing Dumbledore's cheery disposition. 

"I don't think so," he replied, his voice even. 

He met the Headmaster's eyes, as if daring him to disagree.

Instead, Dumbledore just smiled, his eyes twinkling, "No, not for you I suppose." 

Draco's attention had shifted back to his boots, but when Dumbledore didn't continue, he glanced back up. 

"Is there a reason you're here, or are you just trying to make me uncomfortable?" Draco sneered. 

Usually he wouldn't dare to be so direct with the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but here lately, it didn't seem to matter very much. Nothing did really. Not now that he knew what the future had in store for him. He supposed that the thought of becoming a Death Eater after his last year of school should have held a deep sense of pride for him. Or at least gratification. He would be doing what he'd been brought up to do after all. Still, the thought brought him no pride, no eagerness, no nothing.

He shook himself mentally and returned to his boots, waiting to see what the old man would say. 

"Actually, I came to talk to you about last night's rather interesting events."

Draco stood rigidly. He could have sworn the old man was dragging things out on purpose, just to annoy him.

"Miss Weasley came and apologized, I presume?"

"Yes, she did," Draco replied, choosing his words carefully. It wouldn't do to betray any emotions Draco might have about a certain redhead to Dumbledore. 

The Headmaster accepted his answer with a nod. 

"I trust you realize that these recent events are to be kept strictly between you, Miss Weasley, and the teachers involved?" 

" I- of course." Draco sank down onto the bed as realization hit. 

So Ginny hadn't told everyone that he had been blown off his broomstick. She hadn't told anyone anything. That was certainly a relief. But she had lied to him. That red-haired devil! What else had she lied about? She had probably planned for just this moment. The thought of giving Draco Malfoy a shock would certainly entertain her. He shook his head as he silently digested this latest bit of information.

"Is there something wrong, Mister Malfoy?" Dumbledore's calm voice interrupted his thoughts. 

"No," Draco answered quickly, "everything's fine." 

"Good." Dumbledore regarded Draco silently for a moment, as if he could read his thoughts.

Draco met his eyes and the feeling gave him a shiver that ran down his back like the icy finger of a ghost. He found himself guarding his expression even more carefully. 

"In that case, I recommend that you get to your common room and prepare your things for your next lesson. You will not be excused from it." 

Dumbledore's words released Draco from his mental spell and he quickly tore his eyes away from the Headmaster's imploring gaze. He got up from the bed and started towards the door, moving purposely slowly, as if to show Dumbledore that he was not intimidated in the least. He checked the pocket of his robe habitually for his wand, and was reassured by the familiar feel of it in his hand. He continued on and had just turned the door handle when Dumbledore's next words stopped him. 

"I took the liberty of returning the Quidditch balls to their proper place, after it was known that you were out of commission." 

Draco turned slowly around, horror dawning on him. The Quidditch balls; he had completely forgotten. Not even trying to force a 'thank you' from his lips, he nodded silently at the kindly silver bearded man who sat awaiting his response. Draco had never said those two words in his life, and he couldn't bring himself to do it now. He wasn't even sure he wanted to. When he received nothing but an understanding nod in return, Draco decided that the conversation was over. Pushing open the door, he made his way back to the Slytherin common room.

As he walked, he tried to confront another problem that was facing him: Pansy. She was going to be furious that he hadn't followed up on his promise. Or what she thought of as a promise. Malfoys didn't make promises, at least, not ones they couldn't be certain of keeping. He bit his lip thoughtfully, trying to come up with something believable to tell her. He decided on telling her half of the truth- that he had caught a cold while looking for the Quidditch balls and had been forced to stay in the hospital wing. He would simply leave out the part about Ginny Weasley. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about that poor, freckled little witch-in both senses of the word. 

Confident in his plan, he strode self-importantly into the Slytherin dormitories and gathered his books. He was about to leave the room when he caught sight of a small pendant that closely resembled his own family emblem. It was faded silver, with two snakes twined around each other, their emerald eyes brilliant in the darkness of the room. It was laying on his nightstand, where it was obvious that it had been carefully placed so that it remained facing upwards. It's equally old chain lay beside it, the clasp clearly broken. _That's odd_, Draco thought, reaching for his neck. _I could have sworn that I had it on last night. _

Sudden revelation dawned on him. It must have come off while I was flying in the storm last night. But how did it get here? The amulet itself revealed nothing, it's snake eyes staring up at him eerily out of the shadows. No one had bothered to draw the curtains back, which didn't surprise him in the least. Slytherins liked the gloom. The figure was a sort of good luck charm for him. His father gave it to him when he was born. It supposedly carried protection and discernment spells, cast into it centuries before by someone his family considered the greatest wizard of all time. Greater even than Voldemort. Salazar Slytherin himself. So Lucius Malfoy had told him when he had asked about it on one occasion. 

This revelation had awakened a newfound respect for the faded, worn trinket in Draco and he had always kept it with him after that. His father also said that the pendant had been used for darker purposes at one time, but they have been forgotten and remain unused now. Exactly how the Malfoys ever came across such an item was unknown to Draco, but it had been in the family for years.

For a second, Draco found himself lost in the snakes glowing eyes. They seemed to pull him into themselves, drowning out the rest of the world. As he sank deeper into their bottomless depths, he heard a deep, sinister voice calling him. 

"Draco." It said only one word, but that one word echoed through the young Malfoy's head like the crashing rumble of a waterfall.

Draco dropped the figure in surprise, taking an involuntary step back. Released from the pull of its eyes, he stared down at the ancient pendant, lying tilted on its side. He shivered. He took a deep breath and reached down and picked it back up carefully, half expecting it to talk again. Gently, as if it were a fragile shell that could crumble in an instant, he laid it back on the stand. He didn't really feel like having it with him at the moment. It's mysterious appearance made him wary of handling it too much. Lost necklaces did not just pop up back in their owners room. Unless they had a returning spell on them. And Lucius Malfoy had never mentioned anything of the sort. 

Draco found it hard to believe that his father would overlook something of that importance. Come to think of it, necklaces didn't suddenly call your name either. Before he could shiver again, he forced himself to shrug it off. Somebody must have picked it up for him, that was all. Someone who knew who it belonged to. Maybe it had fallen off in the Slytherin changing room, and one of his housemates had picked it up for him. That could be it. Draco found himself laughing subconsciously at this. Somehow, he really doubted it. He couldn't remember ever showing it to anyone. He had even kept it hidden from Pansy. But what other explanation was there? And what about the voice? He had only one explanation for that. He was going mad. He was beginning to hear things. 

Madness was not completely unheard of in the Malfoy family. In fact, Draco knew of several ancestors that had had to be locked away privately, so that the fact would not get out. So madness was unusual, yes, but not unheard of. Draco just wasn't sure why it would suddenly strike now. Heaving a sigh, he pushed the depressing thoughts to the back of his mind. He could deal with them later, for now, he had to get to his next lesson. He was almost out the door when something yanked him back. 

Draco stumbled, narrowly managing to avoid crashing to the floor. It hadn't been a physical tug, but mental. It had the same effect that he would have expected had someone gripped him around the waste and jerked him back. Gasping in shock, he turned around, facing into the room. The amulet was gone, he noticed immediately. With the anxious feeling that you get when you know something that you don't want to be true is, he let his gaze travel to his feet. 

The glittering necklace was there, peering up at him. This time, the clasp was no longer broken, but whole again, as if had never been and could never imagine being any different. A sinking feeling in his stomach, Draco swallowed so hard that in anyone less dignified, it would have been called a gulp. Once again, he reached down to pick it up, hesitating right before he touched it. Would the snakes come alive and bite him? 

Draco did not at all doubt now that they could, if it suited their purposes. Tossing the feeling aside, he clutched the necklace and dropped it around his neck, almost defiantly. 

"Fine, I'll wear it," he said darkly to the silence. "For now." 

**********************

Things had gone downhill from there. 

He couldn't concentrate in class. Instead, he found his mind wondering back to the odd behavior of the pendant, and the voice in his head. When a teacher or a fellow student interrupted him from his daydreams, he discovered that he had unconsciously brought his hand up and was clutching his necklace. This earned him many odd looks and loud sniggers from the rest of the class. Except for the Slytherins. They just glared at him with faces that plainly hissed, Pay attention; Pansy's glare was the most terrible of all. 

She was clearly upset about last night, and demanding an explanation. Professor McGonagall also took one point off Slytherin for "his refusal to pay attention". Lunch wasn't any better. He couldn't eat anything, and just pushed food around on his plate. At one time, he felt eyes on him and glanced up, only to see the youngest Weasley staring at him from across the Great Hall. He sneered and gave her the fiercest glare he could muster, causing her to flush and look away quickly. He grinned a little, but her reaction didn't please him as much as it should have. 

He had been forced to deal with Pansy as soon as Transfiguration was over, and had, amazingly, been able to convince her that he had been unable to return to the dormitories because of a cold. He had even kissed her, just in case. She had smiled then, and told him how she had known that only something like that would have kept him from her and how glad she was that he was better. It was all Draco could do to keep from rolling his eyes during this little speech. She was pathetic. 

He wasn't sure how he managed to get through the rest of the day, but somehow he did. His final class, Herbology, was even worse. He had to drag himself out to the greenhouses, and the ground was unattractively muddy. The storm had finally gone sometime early that morning, leaving behind dozens of puddles and mounds of slippery grass. Luckily, he managed not to fall, but he wasn't so lucky once the lesson began. 

He missed two questions that he should have gotten easily, but was to distracted to answer correctly, and was given an extra two inches to add to his essay on the African Flying Plant that was due in on Friday, just two days away. After this, he thought very seriously about breaking the stupid chain and throwing the necklace away, but decided against it because of the fact that he was fairly certain he couldn't. With Herbology finally over, Draco thought that he would have some time to think. But it was not to be. No sooner had he gained the pathway that lead back to the castle than he was approached by Pansy. 

__

Not now, he groaned. 

"Draco," she called. 

Draco kept walking, pretending that he didn't hear her.

"Draco!" Her voice was louder, more demanding.

With a sigh, Draco stopped. "Pansy?"

She ignored his obvious displeasure at being stopped. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to take a little visit to the tower with me. This is later, isn't it?" Her eyes narrowed, daring him to argue. 

Draco knew what tower she meant. It was a secret room off the astronomy tower that he had stumbled across last year. He had been more foolish then, and had made the mistake of showing it to Pansy. It had instantly become their little hideaway, the place they went to participate in unsupervised activities. Not that they really did much besides kiss. Draco had never really wanted to go all the way with Pansy, and she was content with just kissing. Although at first she wanted more, she was quick to realize that she wasn't going to get it, and had taken what she could get. 

Besides, they both knew it wasn't really him that she wanted. It was the reputation of being his girlfriend that went with it. 

"No, this is not later," he corrected, "This is now, and I have something else to do." He turned on his heel and started walking away.

For a second, he really thought he might get away with that. 

Then he felt Pansy's fingernails digging into his arm and knew that he wasn't going to escape that easily. 

"Draco Malfoy, you stop this instant," Pansy demanded, hands on her hips like a spoilt child, "I want to talk to you. Now," she emphasized.

Several passing students glanced their way and had to smother giggles as they went by. Draco flushed, not able to completely conceal his embarrassment, and quickly stepped closer to Pansy so that they could talk quietly. 

"Shut up," he hissed at her, "I told you, not now."

"And I told you, yes now. What's wrong with you today? You've been acting strange and now your turning down a perfectly good snogging session? It's almost enough to make a girl think that something else happened last night besides you catching a cold." She smirked when she said the last part. 

This was really not going well. There was only one thing he could do if he didn't want her questioning his story. 

"Come on then," he said impatiently. 

*********************

By the time he had satisfied Pansy and then rushed down for a late supper, most of the students had already left the Great Hall. Pansy had decided to skip supper. She had told him that she was on a diet, to which Draco asked, "Why?" causing her to glare furiously at him and stomp off muttering, "Men," underneath her breath. 

Draco could honestly say that he didn't get it. Pansy was fine as she was. She was already quite slim, and had an excellent figure. One that had not gone unnoted, least of all by him. What was she on about? He didn't let himself dwell on it. It was her problem, not his. Instead, he went to dinner.

He was halfway through his meal when he saw Professor Snape enter the Hall. 

"There you are, Malfoy," the Potions Professor called to him, "I was looking for you." He strode briskly over to the table. "Detention, tonight, my classroom, seven o'clock. I expect you to be on time."

"I have detention with you?" Draco asked. 

He couldn't believe his luck. Snape was his favorite teacher, and the feeling had always been mutual. Snape tended to favor Draco above the others. 

"Yes," Snape replied promptly. 

He seemed to be in a hurry. Seeing Draco's grin, he warned, 

"Don't expect this to be an easy week. That Weasley girl will be there, so I have to give you the same amount of work." Snape disliked the Weasleys as much as the Draco did. 

Draco's grin disappeared and he frowned as he nodded. Ginny Weasley had unconsciously messed things up again. By the time Draco had finished fuming- however irrationally- at her, Snape had left, and his food was cold. Not feeling hungry anymore, Draco left the table. 

His thoughts reassessed the day as he walked down the corridors towards the dungeons, going over-once again- the entire necklace episode. Now that he was done with Pansy and dinner, he found his thoughts wondering back towards it. He stopped before the door that lead to the Potions classroom and checked his pocket watch. Tucking it safely away again in the inside pocket of his robes, he pulled open the door just as the clock struck seven.

*****************

Ginny glanced up as the door swung open. Though she knew who it was, for a second she could not tear her eyes away from the sight of him. He stood in the doorway, his tall, fair figure silhouetted by the light from the hallway behind him. He smirked at her, and she realized she was staring. She wanted to turn away guiltily, and try her best to hide the fiery blush that had crept into her cheeks. Instead, she lifted her head defiantly and met his eyes. That seemed to surprise him a little bit. Good. 

Allowing herself to turn away from him then, she wondered what had gotten into her. Suddenly it seemed a great game to surprise or annoy Malfoy as much as possible. One that she found herself enjoying immensely. Remembering the grieved and preoccupied look on his face before he had caught her staring, she got the feeling that he had not had a very good day. This suited her perfectly, for she hadn't had the best time either. She had overslept, completely missed breakfast, and had been late for her first class, which had gained her several odd looks. Ginny was never late. As if that was not enough, she was also feeling immensely guilty about lying to her friends about last night.

Harry and Hermione had obviously guessed that something was up, but it was Ron who had nagged her about it. She had had to firmly assure him several times that nothing was wrong and that she had just overslept, feeling more badly about it each time. She didn't like to lie to Ron; he had become the closest to her out of all her brothers after Percy left school. It couldn't be helped though. She did not feel like telling anyone about what had happened just yet. She still felt foolish about going outside in the first place. She was forced to drag her mind to the present when she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. 

Draco came to a halt beside her. 

"Has Professor Snape been here yet?" he asked coolly.

"No," she replied, with equal enthusiasm. 

Neither of them so much as glanced at the other as they spoke.

Seemingly satisfied, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Draco took a seat halfway across the room from her. Obviously, he wasn't too keen on being there with her either. Silence ensued as they waited for Snape. Ginny bit her fingernails nervously. The Potion's Master was probably making them wait on purpose. Several more minutes passed, until Ginny couldn't stand the oppressive silence.

"I'm assuming that since you're here as well that I didn't get the time wrong. He did say seven, didn't he?" she glanced questioningly over at Draco.

The silver-haired boy, unlike her, seemed perfectly at ease in the dungeons. 

"He'll be here," he paused, then favored her with a half-smirk, half-sneer. "He just likes to make students wait. They have more time to get nervous that way." His grin was mocking, and he looked pointedly at her chewed off fingernails, "It seems to be working, at least on one of us." 

Ginny fumed silently, refusing to look at him. 

He was right. 

She was more nervous now then when she had come in. She had a deep dislike for the Professor already, and having him for detention this week was absolutely nerve racking. Refusing to betray her nervousness in front of him now, she forced herself to keep her hands in her lap and not fidget. It was extremely hard. Before she could be tested to her limits too much though, a door opened at the back of the classroom and Severus Snape walked in. His face belied his ill humor, and Ginny wondered what kind of torture she was going to be subjected to. Since Snape undeniably favored Draco, it wasn't hard to figure out who would get the worst of the work, whatever it proved to be.

From the corner of her eye, she watched as Draco visibly straightened in his chair. Unbelievably, he actually seemed to respect the Potion's Professor. Ginny shook her head; it was her turn to be surprised. She didn't think Draco was capable of respecting anyone. Obviously, she was wrong. 

Snape peered at them over the huge box full of papers that he was carrying. Still watching them closely, he set the box down on the floor in front of his desk and went back out the door. Just a few moments later he returned carrying another box. This one was also full of papers. 

Ginny bit her lip. 

What could they possibly have to do with that many papers? Surely he didn't mean for them to read them all? 

Snape made two more trips out the door, coming back with a box in hand each time. It did not take long to discover that these boxes didn't contain paper like the first two. They held what seemed to be bottles and jars of potion ingredients. They must have come from his own storeroom, Ginny decided. The regular supply room that the students used did not contain nearly the amount or kinds of ingredients he placed before them. When Snape bent to set the last box down, Ginny and Draco shared a curious glance. 

What were they expected to do with all that? 

The answer was soon revealed when Snape spoke. Straightening up, he glared piercingly at both of them. 

"Inventory," he stated flatly. "You are to go through these papers and match them with the potions ingredients. I want a recording of how much of each ingredient we have written on the papers as well. After you have sorted them all, you can label the jars using this tape," he indicated a roll of green Muggle tape lying inside one of the boxes, " and these pens." Snape pointed to his desk where two black permanent markers lay unnoticed until then. 

Ginny's mouth fell open in surprise and she quickly glanced at Draco to see his reaction. 

"Can't we just use magic?" he asked. 

He was as surprised as she was, she could tell by his voice, even though he did his best to conceal it. 

"No," came the stern reply. "Neither one of you is to so much as touch your wands. I will know if you have used magic when I return, and if I find you have your wands will be taken away from you for the remainder of your detentions. Understood?" 

For once he didn't seem to be favoring Draco at all. That made Ginny feel a little better, at least she wouldn't have to do all the work. Then she realized what the Professor had said. 

"You're not going to be here while we do this?" Her voice sounded strange, even to her own ears. 

"Certainly not, Miss Weasley. I have other matters to attend to, and can not afford to waste my time babysitting." He sent her a nasty glare. 

Ginny felt the heat rise to her checks as she blushed in humiliation. It was obvious that Snape was referring to her. But the red tinge of her cheeks was not all from embarrassment, the thought also made her angry. That he should suggest she was a baby was infuriating. There was nothing to be done about it though, as he was a teacher. Her anger, however, was only increased when Draco spoke up. 

"At least you're doing better than her, Professor. Little Weasley can't afford _anything_, "he taunted nastily. 

" Why you-" Ginny started. 

But what he was, Draco didn't get to hear. Professor Snape suddenly interrupted them. 

"That is quite enough," he ground out chillingly, though Ginny had the sneaking suspicion that he was amused by Malfoys comment. 

"You two are going to have to work together, and whether you get along or not is none of my affair. However, while I am present, I expect you to retain from bickering." 

Neither Draco nor Ginny gave any answer to this, but he didn't seem to have expected one. Giving them one last warning glance, he strode out of the classroom, calling threateningly over his shoulder, 

"And you had better not break anything either, or I will be most displeased."

It was several minutes more before Draco or Ginny even moved. 

In fact, she had almost forgotten Draco was even there, she was still so furious. It was the hushed whispering of Draco's robes over the floor that reminded her of his presence. Graceful as a cat, he strode up the aisle to the boxes sitting on the floor. From her position behind him, she could see that he had both perfect posture and impeccable taste in clothing. Those robes alone must have cost a fortune. She looked enviously at the fine material. She had always wanted a pair of robes like that. From there, her gaze traveled to the white-blonde hair that glimmered in the dim lighting like moonlight. _He has beautiful hair_. The unusual thought made her look away and she instantly chided herself. What was she doing, she was starting to sound like Lavender or Parvati, God forbid. 

Shaking her head, she tried to remember the insult he had just thrown at her family, but it seemed all the anger had gone out of her. She was tired of being mad. Maybe she would just try to be civil with him after all. That would probably be a lot easier for both of them. 

As if sensing her change of mood, Draco cast her a glance over his shoulder. 

"Aren't you coming?" he asked imperiously, before turning back to inspect the boxes, knowing full well that she was not just going to sit there.

Ginny sighed and raised herself from the seat. 

"Might as well get this over with," she muttered to herself. 

She approached the boxes, making sure to give Draco a wide berth. She didn't want to get anywhere near him. She reached the boxes and gently lowered herself down beside the nearest one. 

"Okay," she began, hating to have to be the one to talk first, but knowing by the smug look on his face that Draco was not going to say anything. 

He had made the first move by coming over here, now it was her turn. "I'll take this box of papers, and you can have the other one." She indicated the box closest to him. "We can keep the boxes with the ingredients between us. Okay?"

"Why do you get that box?" 

What had she expected? Of course Draco was going to be difficult.

"Fine, I'll take that stack and you can have this one," she snapped. 

She reached for the box, but Draco had other plans. 

"No, I've changed my mind, I'll take this one after all." Seeing her trying furiously to keep her composure, he gave her a self-satisfied grin and began shifting through the papers in the box he had claimed. 

Detention was turning out to be more fun than he had expected. In fact, bickering with Ginny had even managed to push the necklace out of his mind. 

"Stop being so...so...childish!" she spat at him. 

He feigned innocence, " Me? Childish?" he paused, " Never." 

With that he went back to work, pointedly ignoring her sharp intake of breath as she tried to still her worked up temper. His face remained a mask of pure composure, never once wavering in it's intended look of innocence. Ginny decided that ignoring him as well would be the best tactic. She turned to her own box of papers and began methodically going through them.

After about ten minutes of working in complete silence, she was getting frustrated. She blew her breath out in a sigh, forcing it upwards so that it blew the tendrils of red hair out of her eyes. Biting her lip, she surveyed what little bit of work she had done. 

"This is hopeless," she felt the need to point out, even if Malfoy did ignore her. 

"Really?" he asked, casually raising an eyebrow, "I never pictured you as Ginny-the-Quitter, but then again, the only way I've ever known you is from your family history. You know, the penniless one." 

Ginny felt the blood rush to her face and she had to bite the inside of her cheek and clench her hands tightly into fists by her side to keep herself from doing anything irrational. Though Malfoy would most certainly have deserved it, she didn't think Professor Snape would have appreciated having Malfoy returned to him in a million pieces. Instead of sparring physically, she would have to resort to words. 

Unfortunately, the only thing she could think of at that moment to say was, 

"I am not quitting." 

She heard Draco's mocking laugh, and had to admit that that hadn't been the wittiest comeback. 

"I was simply stating a fact." 

All this time that she had been talking, Draco had been steadily working, not even pausing to speak. 

"No, that was more of an opinion." He pointed to his own accomplishments, "It's really not as hard as your making it out to be." 

" Oh, really, well how do you suggest I do it?" Ginny couldn't deny that he seemed to have gotten a lot more done than her, but she hated his smug attitude about it.

"Instead of sorting the papers and then matching them up with the right ingredient, just take one paper at a time, and match it. Then put it in a certain place so that every time you find more of it, you can just add it to that pile."

Ginny blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Draco to tell her anything, and when he did, his answer actually sounded logical. He hadn't even had a superior look plastered across his face. 

"Oh," she said in a small voice. 

They continued working in silence for a few minutes, Ginny doing as he had instructed.

"Thanks." 

Her voice was almost a whisper, and at first she didn't even think that Draco had heard her. Then she heard his own hushed reply, so quite she wasn't even sure she had heard it at all. 

"You're welcome." 

Ginny glanced up quickly. 

Would he ever stop surprising her? Why had he gone from being completely infuriating to amazingly tolerable in an instant? Was he sick? Ginny thought back to that preoccupied look Draco had had when he had first entered the classroom, before he saw her. Something must be on his mind. 

Now as she looked at him, she thought she detected the same faint trace of preoccupation about him. That look that said he wasn't quite there. She jumped upon the time to look him over carefully, as she had never done before. All her earlier anger had evaporated. Instead, she was left with this intense feeling of curiosity. 

Just who was Draco Malfoy? 

She had known him for six years, of course, but she had never really known him. Not that she wanted to, she hastily reminded herself, even as she dropped her gaze. There could be no possible reason to ever want to know Draco better, and yet-

She was interrupted in her musings by a gratified sigh. 

"Finished," her partner-in-detention proclaimed. He looked over at her questioningly.

"You?" 

"Not quite." Ginny cringed inwardly; she still had about ten jars and papers to go. 

She thought for a second that Draco might offer to help her, in light of his sudden mood swing, but no such luck. He sat there casually, legs crossed and hands resting on his knees as he waited for her to finish. Though she didn't look up, Ginny could feel his eyes on her. Unwavering, they burned twin holes into her as she felt their relentless gaze. What happened to the thoughts that took him a million miles away?

Ginny decided that he must have been trying to irritate her, or make her uncomfortable. Both were working perfectly so far, with the latter making her blush profusely, though she tried her best to hide it. Malfoy saw right through her guise, and laughed haughtily. 

"Something wrong, Weasley?" he teased.

"Yes," Ginny snapped back, putting the last piece of tape on her share of the sorted ingredients. "You've been staring at me for the past ten minutes. Do I have something in my hair?"

Draco sniggered. 

"No, but my make-Weasley-mad plan seems to have gone off without a hitch." 

Ginny could think of nothing to say to that, and for a few minutes, they just sat silently, her glowering and him smiling smugly. And to think, just minutes before she had wondered about getting to know the real Draco. 

Just at that moment, when the silence was stretched taut and thin, very close to breaking, the classroom door opened and Snape strode in. He took in the scene before him in a matter of seconds and gave a curt nod. 

"I see that you have finished," he gestured towards the sorted jars, "Good. You may go. And remember, the same time tomorrow." Without another word he strode past them and disappeared into his office. 

Refusing to look at Draco, Ginny stood quickly, brushing the dust from her robe. 

"That won't do any good, you know." Draco's voice had taken on that sneering tone again, the one that clearly stated: here comes an insult. "Those old hand-me-down robes are brown anyway." He paused for emphasis, "No wait, they were black, but they're just so stained that they look brown now." He laughed coldly, seeing Ginny's face burning red from the insult. 

"What's the matter, Weasley, mummy and daddy couldn't afford to buy you a new pair?" 

Ginny sucked in a deep breath, absolutely furious. Before she could stop herself, she instinctively reached out and punched him, hard, feeling a slight pain as her fist met his jaw. A loud "pop" echoed across the room, the sound of bone striking bone, and Ginny's eyes widened for a second in horror. 

She had hit him! Before he could do anything more than simply stare at her in shock, she regained her composure and swept out of the room, head held high. He deserved it, she assured herself, trying to erase the nagging feeling of guilt that followed her. 

A/N: Wow, surprise ending, huh? Ginny actually hits Malfoy- uh, Draco. I haven't seen that in very many fics, usually Ginny just tries to hit him but Malfoy (I am to used to the books, even I call him by his last name. Oh well.) ends up stopping her. I wanted her to get a piece of him for once. Lol. Anyway, please read and review. I really like to hear what everyone has to say. I'm no Cassie Claire, so I don't expect a lot of people to actually read my idea of a D/G romance, but I would really appreciate it if those of you who do read it would review. In the next chapter (it will be out soon) we get to see how Draco and Ginny cope with the remainder of the week, and Draco has another encounter (episode?) with his mysterious necklace. 

Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter: tigereyes320, Blue Lady, DaZLinDZ, TrixiP, FroggyBabe15, Ceitie, and hermione best student.

*hugs everyone* You guys make me want to keep writing.


	3. The Voice

Disclaimer: See previous chapter. In other words, I own nothing.

Chapter 3: The Voice

That night, as Draco lay awake in bed, still fuming about the way Ginny had punched him, he heard it again in his memory. 

The same voice that had called his name when he first found the pendant. It was the same voice that had spoken to him that day as well. 

When Ginny had hit him, the voice of the pendant had instantly commanded him to hit her back. Hard. Somehow, whether from shock, or the urging of his more intelligent side, he had controlled the impulse and had ignored the voice. Somehow though, he knew that he would pay for it later. It was as obvious as night and day to him that the voice-whatever, whoever it was- did not like to be ignored. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to hit her back of course, but he knew that it would be folly. As a Weasley, she would probably go running of to tell the first teacher she saw, landing him in detention. Again. 

As he lay there, listening to the gentle breathing of his roommates, he found himself drifting towards the dream world. 

He stood in a dark room; the silence was immense. He couldn't see anything, nor could he hear anything. It was like he stood in a big room of nothing.

" How do I know it's a room then?" _he found himself wondering. _

But he did. He knew it as surely as he knew his own name, but more than that, he knew that in this room, this hellish darkness, there was only one way out. A single door stood in front of him. In rising panic, he threw himself at it, hastily turning the handle. Locked. He pounded fiercely on the solid wood, refusing to believe that he was trapped. 

Suddenly, he sensed that he was not the only one in the room. A cold presence could be felt, hanging in the air. Not a solid, concrete form; the presence was all around him. Though he couldn't see it, he could sense it, the same way that he had sensed where the door was. He breathed deeply, trying to stay calm, even as he began banging on the door again with renewed vigor. 

"It will do you no good." It was the voice; the one Draco had come to associate with the snake pendant. He looked around furtively, trying with all his might to find its owner. "You can't see me." Draco went still, concentrating his entire being on listening to the voice. 

Did he know it from somewhere, had he heard it before? 

"No, you don't know me," the voice informed him. "But you will."

There was something dark and sinister about that last phrase that made Draco shiver. 

"You have been chosen." It waited, like it expected Draco to say something. When he managed to find his voice he did.

"Who are you?" he asked, "What do you mean, I've been chosen?" He received no answer, only silence, and for a moment Draco thought and hoped that it was gone. 

But it wasn't finished yet. 

"You disappointed me today, Draco. You disobeyed an order. This cannot be ignored," 

This was it, Draco knew. 

This was what he had been waiting for and dreading ever since it had happened. The punishment. He could never have expected nor prepared himself for what happened next. 

"Crucio," he heard the cold voice whisper. 

He had no time to even attempt to brace himself. One minute he was on his feet, silvery hair damp with sweat, the next he found himself on the floor, writhing in agony. He felt himself open his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His Malfoy training had taken over and forced it shut. Draco was glad for that. He didn't want to wail and scream like a baby, pleading for mercy. Instead, he clutched his sides silently, desperately trying to make the pain stop. What seemed like hours later, but was really only seconds, it ended. 

"Don't disappoint me again," the voice trailed after him as the dream world faded in front of his eyes.

Draco bolted upright in bed, hair and shirt soaked through with sweat, his hand clenched tightly around the necklace. 

His senses returning to him, he yanked his hand away from the cursed object, staring down at it like the snakes would come alive and bite him. At that moment, he wanted more than anything to rip the object off his neck and hurl it so far that it would never be seen again. But something stayed his hand. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to do it. _Or am I not allowed to? _He wondered. What did it all mean? And who was it that haunted his dreams, nightmares, and even haunted his waking life?

*******************

The rest of the week flew by fast for Ginny and Draco alike, except for the long, tense hour of detention they were forced to spend together every afternoon. After "the fight", as Ginny had taken to calling the argument they had had on the first day when she thought about it, they kept up a mutually beneficial truce. 

Ginny still felt a little guilty about hitting him, though she would never admit it to anyone, and Draco seemed quite content to leave the subject buried. He's probably trying to forget it ever occurred, Ginny reasoned, and she really couldn't blame him for it. It must have been quite a blow to his over-proportioned pride. Each day they would meet in the Potions classroom, neither one speaking to the other for the entire time. If Professor Snape noticed the strained silence, he didn't comment, and so it went on. 

Fortunately, Friday was the last day of detention they had together, and it couldn't end nearly fast enough for them. They entered the classroom that day, exchanging the usual glares, and prepared for more boxes of jars and sorting to do. Snape, however, had a different chore in mind for them that day. He was there waiting for them when they entered, and instead of the normal piles of boxes ready to greet them, Snape had a broom in each hand. Dustpans were lying on the floor beside him, and a couple of rags and towels were set on a desk. A mop could also be seen leaning forlornly against a cold wall, while a scrubbing brush lay beside it. 

Draco looked from Snape, to the cleaning items, and then back to Snape with raised eyebrows. Crossing his arms, he leaned casually against the stone wall. 

"You don't expect me to fly on one of those do you?" he asked incredulously. "It's old and… filthy." His face curled in contempt. 

"Actually, Mister Malfoy, the brooms are to be used to sweep the floor. And the rest of these are cleaning tools as well," Snape stared coldly at him, daring him to protest.

Draco glanced around at the grime-covered floor and the smoke stained walls. It was impossible to tell exactly how many cauldrons of potions had been spilt on those floors over the years, but from the overwhelming evidence, it seemed to have been quite a lot. _Probably the result of generations of Longbottoms, _Draco thought nastily. There was no way he was cleaning this mess. However, when he informed Snape of this fact, he was promptly told that he would, indeed, be cleaning it. Without magic.

Draco could think of nothing to say to this, besides the usual, 'I'll tell my father' retort. Since he knew that the threat would not work on Snape, he opted to remain silent and said nothing. Inwardly, he willed himself to give in and resigned himself to his fate. Draco reached for a broom, pulling his hand back before he touched it. A grimace settled over his face. "Why can't we use magic? I don't know how to clean," he said disdainfully, motioning to the broom and actually looking a little worried. 

Behind him, Ginny tried to stifle a laugh. _Probably doesn't like getting his precious hands dirty. _It was obvious that Draco had never touched a broom before in his life. Nor had he ever had any experience with the rest of the items Snape had brought for them to use.

Draco jerked around at the sound of Ginny's laugh. 

"I don't find this funny in the least." 

"Perhaps since Miss Weasley is so familiar with these items, she can show you how they're used." Snape looked inquiringly at Ginny, whose cheeks were starting to burn at the insult. 

She darted an venom-filled glance at Draco before nodding her consent. 

"Good," Snape replied, "Now I have work to do. You'd best get started." Handing the brooms to Ginny, he exited the same way he had entered, dark cloak billowing out behind him.

Silently, they watched him leave. Then Draco turned back to Ginny. 

"Really, Weasley, I never expected to learn anything from you, but the sooner we get this finished, the better. I should have guessed that this particular area would be your specialty." The nasty smirk never left his face as he held his hand outstretched, ready to take the broom from her.

She handed it to him, becoming increasingly frustrated every second, but then grinning as she noted the look of disgust that came over his normally blank features. 

"Honestly, Draco, it's not that bad," she taunted, eyebrows quirked in amusement. All her anger had dissipated the moment she realized she had a chance to irritate him for once.

For a moment, Draco just stared at her, and then the corners of his mouth turned slightly upwards. He knew he should be angry with her, but at that moment, he couldn't help it. It was the first time Ginny had actually ever seen him attempt a smile. 

"No, I guess it's not," he said glancing at the broom, "But I think I like the flying kind better."

Ginny felt a rising chuckle, but was to surprised to hold it back. Even as she laughed, she was kind of shocked. Draco Malfoy had made a joke whether he knew it or not. It was amazing. 

Draco's laughter died suddenly, and he reached up and grabbed the pendant that had been hanging around his neck for the past week. A sudden, sharp pain sliced through him like a jagged piece of glass. He felt an overwhelming burning sensation pass through him, and his chest heaved as he tried to get enough air into his lungs and calm his shuddering. 

Ginny, concern etched on her features, reached out and lowered him gently to the floor as he started to fall. She might not like him very much and she might tell herself that she wouldn't care if he dropped down dead, but she couldn't stand to see anyone hurting like he was. 

"Draco?" she called softly to him as she hovered over him, trying desperately to figure out what was happening.

As she cushioned his head in her lap, she noticed the dark rings under his eyes that she had overlooked earlier. He obviously had not been sleeping well. 

"What's going on?" she asked, not sure whether he would respond or not. 

His face had already turned a shade paler and his breathing was shallow. She thought she saw his lips twitch slightly in response to her question, but other than that he gave no sign of having heard her. 

He was back in that dark room. And the presence -that other being- was there again too.

"I told you not to disappoint me," it whispered cruelly, "You failed." 

That was the last thing Draco heard before the excruciating pain hit him full-force again, knocking the air out of his lungs. His sweaty palm gripped tightly the polished silver pendant that Ginny had never noticed. Before, it had been hidden under his robes. She watched helplessly as Draco twisted and squirmed in pain. 

Not knowing what else to do, Ginny was about to call out for help when his eyes suddenly flew open and he sat straight up. His hand dropped loosely from the necklace, seemingly too heavy for him to hold up. He sat that way for a long minute, supported by nothing but his own scarce remaining strength and Ginny's comforting hand on his back. The room was silent, except for the harsh sound of Draco's breathing, mingled with the gentle intake of hers. 

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked timidly.

Draco seemed to have recovered his breath now.

"Yes," he said, his voice faintly hoarse. He pushed away from her and climbed shakily to his feet. 

Ginny tried to help him up, but he shoved her away firmly. 

"Don't touch me," 

Feeling like she'd been slapped, Ginny stepped back hastily,

" Sorry." 

Draco heard the hurt note underlying the sarcastic comment and glanced up at her. He actually felt a little bad that he'd hurt her feelings, but only for a moment. It was then that he remembered what the voice had said. Draco had disappointed him, and the only thing Draco could think of that might have caused such a display of bad temper in the voice was when he had laughed with Ginny. This was all her fault. He would have to stay away from her. He'd never paid any heed to the rumors about her smile, but when she had smiled at him then, laughing at his attempt at humor, he had felt something stir within him. 

She's worked some kind of spell on me, was the only explanation that came to mind. Or at least it was the only one that he would even pretend to acknowledge. 

In that one moment-that split second of time-something had changed between them. Irrevocably, completely, eternally changed. The pain from the necklace was a warning. _Stay away from her. _And that's exactly what Draco planned on doing. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he knew it was dangerous. And he knew if he ever headed down that path, he could never turn back. 

Mind made up, he glared at her coldly. 

"Don't act so upset about it, Weasley. Surely you didn't like touching me?"

Ginny bristled. She had kind of hoped that maybe things would be a little better between them now, but obviously Draco had merely acted the way he had because he was ill. _And not just physically_, she thought darkly. 

"You're right," she threw back at him, " I didn't like touching you." She paused, causing Draco to raise an eyebrow. 

"Well, go on," he encouraged. 

Ginny didn't miss the wince that went with the quirked eyebrow though. Even that small movement hurt him.

"But," she continued, "that doesn't mean I'm going to let you out of this room without an explanation as to what on earth just happened." She met his hard gaze directly, not flinching for an instant.

Silence, and then, 

"I don't have to tell you anything." 

"Yes, you do." Ginny said equally soft, "Or I will march right out of here and tell Headmaster Dumbledore exactly what just occurred in this room," She stopped to let that sink in. "Is that what you want?"

Draco sighed. She had him, and they both knew it. 

"You know that's not what I want," he said flatly. 

His anger had seeped out of him, leaving him feeling tired and drained.

"Then tell me." Her voice was quieter now as well, less angry. 

"Alright," he conceded. "But not here, not now."

" When?" 

Draco thought for a moment. He couldn't tell her tonight, being gone that late would call attention to himself. "Tomorrow," he decided finally. 

"Meet me in the trophy room at three o'clock. I know somewhere secret we can go from there." 

Ginny looked at him questioningly, but when he didn't say anything more, she nodded, hoping silently that his "secret" place wouldn't be anywhere near the lower dungeons. Ever since her unfortunate, not-so-adventurous adventure down there she had hated every place that even remotely resembled the chamber. Even the Potions classroom had made her uneasy for a while. 

Draco glanced around at the yet-to-be-cleaned classroom. 

"I think we had better get started." He reached for a broom, the revolted look reappearing on his face, but was immediately overcome by a wave of dizziness so strong it took almost every ounce of willpower and strength he had left to remain upright.

Ginny caught the woozy look on his face before he could hide it, and was instantly by his side. For some reason, she felt responsible for him. As if he were an overgrown child that needed looking after. She remembered that one, genuine smile he'd given her and she felt her heart go out to him at his pained expression. 

Trying to be firm, she took his arm. 

"You are going straight to the hospital wing." When he tried to protest, she added, "Just tell Madame Pomfrey that you're not feeling well." She reached up to feel his forehead. 

"You're probably running a fever, so she won't protest." 

Draco thought about resisting, but realized he probably didn't have enough energy. 

Besides, Ginny was determined. The last time he'd seen that look on her face was when she had stood up to him, boldly stepping between himself and that oh-so-famous Harry Potter. Come to think of it, he'd backed off then too, telling himself that it was improper and that he didn't want to fight in front of a girl. Maybe it was Ginny that he hadn't wanted to fight in front of. He'd never seemed to mind having a row in front of that Mudblood Hermione before. 

Shaking the disturbing thought from his mind, he gathered enough energy to ask, 

"What about cleaning the classroom?"

"I'll take care of it," came the immediate reply.

Draco nodded, unashamedly relieved. He didn't envy her if Snape came back to find the place still dirty. 

They reached the door, and as he saw the long hallway and the set of stairs at the other end, he wondered how-if- he would even be able to make it to the hospital wing. The Voice-as he'd come to call it- had really drained him this time. Especially since he was already weak from lack of sleep. He had barely done more than rest his eyes since the nightmare he'd had. He was afraid to go back to sleep, afraid that he'd hear the voice again, and feel the pain. Obviously that didn't matter now, since he'd been struck in the middle of the day this time.

Ginny saw the problem as well when she peered out the door after him. She bit her lip, deep in thought. Ginny was training to be a healer, and was already taking extra classes with Madame Pomfrey, spending her spare time volunteering at the hospital. One of the first spells she'd learned was how to make a floating stretcher. Bringing out her wand, she recited the spell, then helped Draco onto the stretcher. 

"Are you sure this thing's safe?" he asked, looking dubiously at the stretcher floating in mid-air.

"Do you have a choice?" Ginny returned.

" No…"

" Well then." Once Draco was onto it, Ginny quickly chanted another spell and pointing her wand, set the stretcher moving.

Draco just caught a glimpse of Ginny over his shoulder as he began rising up the stairs. Her brilliant red hair had tumbled free of its restraint, and now lay spread across her shoulders, slightly damp with sweat. She had almost had to pick him up to get him on the stretcher. The last glimpse Draco had of her was when she turned away, heading back into the classroom, her attention focused solely on the job ahead of her. With a great sigh, Draco finally allowed himself to relax. Certain of the fact that Ginny would take care of everything, he drifted off into a dreamless slumber. 

A/N: Here we go. I re-edited this, so hopefully it's better. Keep those reviews coming everyone, and millions of thanks to those of you who have already reviewed. I just realized that I it set up so it only took signed reviews, so sorry about that. It's fixed now. See you later.

Excillian 


	4. Boy Trouble?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. 

****

Chapter Four: Boy Trouble?

When Ginny awoke the next morning, it was to find that she was the only one left in the sixth year girls' dormitory. She had overslept. But she could hardly be blamed since she had stayed up late cleaning the Potion's classroom, while at the same time trying to figure out what was going on with Draco. 

He hadn't been himself at all yesterday, and-when she was honest with herself-Ginny realized that whatever had happened to him the day before had truly terrified her. 

Not necessarily because she hadn't known what was going on and was scared for his life (a shocking revelation in itself, she had discovered before she'd managed to fall asleep the night before), but because she had been completely and totally helpless to do anything about it. It wasn't a feeling Ginny was used to, nor was it one she liked. She had always prided herself on her ability to keep her head in a crisis and use good sense, but she had had no idea how to help Draco. 

This theory, that she wasn't as self- possessed as she thought, had the unfortunate effect of leaving her badly shaken up. So, instead of pondering and torturing herself with questions she knew she couldn't answer (like why she was suddenly so concerned about Draco's well-being), she decided to try to act normally and make it through the day the as best she could. There would be enough time for worry and troubling questions when three o'clock came and she had to meet Draco.

For now, she would see about getting some breakfast; she felt like she hadn't eaten in days. As if to prove this point, her stomach growled fiercely as she pulled herself up out of bed and quickly dressed. Throwing her robe on, she pulled open the door and started to step out into the hallway. 

Before she could take one step, she was stopped by Hermione standing there, fist poised to knock on the door. A look of concern etched into her face and her soft brown eyes seemed worried. 

"Oh, Ginny!" she burst out in surprise. " I was just coming to check on you. We- Ron, Harry and I- were worried. You normally don't sleep this late, and well," She paused uncertainly, "we know that you didn't come back till late last night." Hermione bit her lip, obviously uncomfortable. 

"Ron thought you might be sick or something…" the older girl trailed off.

So that's why she's here, Ginny thought. Ron sent her to make sure his little sister was all right.

She sighed inwardly. When would Ron learn that she wasn't a little child anymore? She didn't need looking after. But even as she scorned the older-brother's protection, she found it touching that he cared that much. She was also thankful that Harry and Hermione cared that much. 

__

Harry.

She smiled slightly, picturing the slightly widened eyes and the downward tilt of his mouth that always seemed to accompany him when he was worried or concerned about something. It was rather sweet that he would be concerned about her, though not in the "maybe-he-does-care" sense that she would have hoped for only a few years earlier. 

Thinking about him didn't bring that pang of sorrow that it used to when she was only about twelve. No, she'd long since discovered that what she had thought of as love at that time had only been an infatuation. He was the Great Harry Potter, and she had been drawn to that.

The feeling had quickly faded, and now she felt nothing more for him than she would for a big brother. And he seemed to think the same about her. He treated her like a little sister, and worried about her almost as much as Ron. It was really no wonder Hermione was here to check up on her. 

"I'm fine," she told Hermione, trying to reassure her. The last thing Ginny wanted was for them to think something was wrong and start prying and asking questions because of it. She didn't think Hermione or Harry would do that, but Ron certainly would. 

"I just didn't get much sleep last night." Ginny decided to leave it at that. Explaining the rest would be a long and embarrassing process, and she didn't really think she wanted to go through that just then. 

She could just imagine the look on Hermione's face if she told her about pushing Draco off his broom and breaking his arm. While Ron and Harry would probably have burst into laughter, Hermione would have been more prone to looking horrified and telling her how childish it was. 

"It doesn't matter if it was Malfoy, Ginny. You could have killed him pushing him off his broom like that!" 

Ginny could hear it already.

Hermione remained silent, expecting her to continue, to explain more. When Ginny didn't, she just nodded. 

"Okay then, I'll tell Ron." She turned to walk away, but she hadn't even reached the first step when she stopped to turn back, 

"You know you can trust me, right?" she asked anxiously. " You can tell me anything. If there's something bothering you… school, or boys, or something like that."

Ginny stood blinking stupidly at Hermione for a moment, then she promptly burst out laughing. Hermione thought she was having boy trouble! The very thought was ridiculous. Ginny hadn't had much experience with boys at all, in fact, her boyfriend count was set firmly on zero. She just wasn't interested in any of the boys her age, finding them mostly childish and annoying. 

Now, who's being childish? she asked herself. This whole fiasco with Draco seemed to have brought out the worst side of her.

" What's so funny?" Hermione looked puzzled, and a little hurt. 

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny said consolingly, realizing she was still laughing, " it's nothing like that at all. I'm fine, really." 

Again, Ginny wondered what Hermione would have thought if she'd told her what was really going on. For just a second, Ginny actually considered it. Considered telling Hermione everything. About the storm and Draco, the detentions, the horrible incident that had happened the night before, and…and the strange, new feeling that had suddenly come over her when Draco had smiled at her.

But no. The scene she had imagined earlier stopped her.

And besides, Hermione would very likely go and tell Ron and Harry, and Ginny _really_ didn't want them to know. At least not about what had happened in detention the day before. The part prior to when Ginny had ended up punching Draco, that is.

"You can tell Ron that I'm not sick. I just overslept, okay?"

Hermione nodded, relief showing clearly on her face. Hermione really hadn't wanted to give Ginny a talk on boys, especially when she didn't know all that much herself. She and Ron were going out now, true, but that didn't mean she knew how to talk about that kind of stuff. 

"Alright, I guess I'll go catch up with Harry and Ron then." She smiled briefly, then turned and made her way quickly down the stairs. 

Ginny smiled after her, beginning to chuckle to herself. _Boy trouble, honestly_, she thought as she started down the stairs herself.

She stopped suddenly. Wasn't that what she had after all: boy trouble?

Maybe not the kind Hermione meant, but there was no denying that she was having trouble with a certain gray-eyed, pale-skinned Slytherin. She hesitated, one foot hovering in the air above the next step. And there was that grin… 

Coming abruptly to her senses, she shook her head, as if she could shake the thoughts from her mind. 

It was hopeless.

*

When Draco opened his eyes the next morning, he groaned. He was back in the hospital wing. 

Again.

It's really becoming quite a familiar sight, he thought to himself. _And it seems to be the work of that Weasley every time. Funny._

Actually, it wasn't funny in the least, the small pain in his head reminded him. And this time, it really wasn't Weasley's fault. At least, she hadn't directly caused him bodily harm, but indirectly...

Draco supposed he should have been grateful to her for managing to get him there in the first place, but somehow, he couldn't find it in him. At the moment, he was far beyond being grateful to her for anything. After all, if one looked at it the right way, it really _was_ her fault that he was in here. If it wasn't for her, The Voice wouldn't have seen fit to punish him for laughing, something Draco had rarely done before. 

As if response to his low moan, Madame Pomfrey appeared in the doorway to her office, walking directly towards him. 

"Good, your up. I was beginning to think you might sleep all day. You can leave now," she said in a firm voice that held none of her usual kindness. 

" What, not even a 'how are you feeling this morning'? Just a 'You can leave'?" Draco joked irritably, hoping to take his mind off the slight pain in his head and the memory of the excruciating pain he had went through just hours ago.

He was lucky to be alive, and still sane. Most people didn't manage the Cruciatus curse even once without at least showing some side effects of mental illness. 

Of course, Draco rationalized, _I haven't been awake that long, it could happen yet. _

He doubted it though, resistance to the curse and it's effects must have been one of the better traits instilled in him by his father. 

"You may have a glass of water before you go," the nurse said, as if this were a huge privilege. 

She bustled off to get him one before Draco could think of a suitable retort. He leaned his head back on the soft pillow, closing his eyes briefly. He did feel a lot better this morning, headache and all. 

Fortunately for him, any of the other lingering pains from the Cruciatus curse had long since faded. If he had been anyone else, Draco would have shivered at the memory. 

The Cruciatus curse.

It had to be some powerful dark wizard that plagued him. But Draco had grown up with enough dark spells and curses that it wouldn't really bother him, except for tiny, little, insignificant fact that _he_ had been the victim. 

Now there was a riddle. Draco was from one of the most powerful, well known, and whispered about families in the wizarding community. What could any dark wizard hope to gain by hurting him? A hold over his father maybe? Right. Use Draco as a bargaining chip. That would work. If his father happened to really care about him, which he didn't. 

There goes that theory.

Maybe he and Ginny could figure it out later…

Stop. Hold it. Where did that come from? I'm not telling her anything, Draco ordered himself firmly. 

Deal or no deal, he obviously hadn't been thinking clearly the previous day. Ginny Weasley was already causing him enough trouble without him telling her everything and making it worse. 

Draco's thoughts crashed then_. _

Oh, great. Now I'm thinking of her by her first name, Draco griped to himself sarcastically. 

Was the insanity in his family surfacing again? What was wrong with him? 

Draco groaned again, rubbing at his sleep clouded eyes as if he could clear his mind of the unwanted thoughts while he was at it. 

Unlike what Madame Pomfrey thought, the sound had nothing to do with discomfort, or pain. It was purely mental turmoil. 

The frowning nurse hustled back to his bedside, interrupting his thoughts and making him start.

She didn't seem to notice, and held out the glass of ice water she carried in her hand.

"No need to moan and carry on," she scolded him. " You're not hurt." 

Maybe not physically, he thought gloomily, _but there's still time to discover that I've undergone sudden mental changes in light of a very dangerous curse that would have me sitting in Dumbledore's office in about two seconds flat if I ever told anyone what had happened._

Outwardly, he simply smiled innocently at her and nodded in recognition of the water she'd brought him- even if he couldn't force himself to say thank you- causing her disapproving stare to change to one of wariness. 

What was he up to? 

Draco just smiled deceivingly again, and maneuvered himself from the bed. 

Fortunately she had left him in the same clothes he had arrived in, thus saving him from immense embarrassment. 

He felt like surprising her even more, so he swept her a charming, courtly bow. " I believe I shall be on my way now, Madame." With that said, he strode out of the room, leaving a disturbed and extremely baffled nurse behind, her jaw hanging open. 

Grinning to himself as he stepped into the corridor, Draco wondered why he'd never thought of that before. Maybe because it wasn't properly evil enough, his Slytherin side reminded him. 

His smile faded, replaced by a confused look. It was right. It really wasn't a very Slytherin thing to do. Then again, Slytherins were supposed to be cunning and sly, using any means to trick and disarm other people of their wits. He had certainly accomplished that. 

He didn't have very much time to ponder the thoughts though, because as he swept around a corner he bumped into something - no, scratch that, something bumped into _him._ Malfoys didn't run into things. It wasn't done.- causing him to stagger slightly.

" Who the-" he began angrily, " Oh, it's you," he snarled.

Ginny flinched as if he had struck her. " Yes, it's me," she retorted when she could speak, a bit of her temper flaring up. 

She had thought that maybe, just for once, all things considering, that they could have a civilized conversation, without resorting to insults and jests. Apparently, she was wrong. "And where are you going in such a rush?"

Draco watched her welcoming face harden in an instant at his harsh words. He felt what might have been a small pain of regret for a moment, but that was all, and the feeling was gone in less than a second.

"I…I'm heading to…" he stammered before suddenly realizing that he didn't, in fact, have any clue where he was going. 

This didn't improve his mood. Draco wasn't used to being so preoccupied with thoughts that he didn't pay attention to his surroundings. Being constantly aware of what was going on around him was very important to a Malfoy. It was how they accumulated information that could later be turned to their advantage. 

"It's none of your business where I'm going," he finally snapped back, irritated at himself for his lack of attention and automatically taking it out on the first person in sight. 

I would run into her now, wouldn't I? Of all the luck. 

"Fine," Ginny said giving in with a tired sigh. The last thing she wanted right now was another row with Draco. 

Though she could certainly think of a few not-so-nice things she could say to him, she didn't feel like getting started. It wasn't worth it. 

Besides, the faint rumbling in her belly reminded her, _I haven't had breakfast yet, and it's never good to fight on an empty stomach. _

She saw Draco watching her out of the corner of his eye as she turned away, even though he kept an annoyed, disinterested look on his face. 

"I'll see you at three," she called over her shoulder as she walked away. 

If he's still planning on telling me anything, she thought to herself. She wouldn't doubt it if he had changed his mind already. It was very likely that since he was back to being the old Draco today, he would back out on their deal.

And even if he does, I'm not going to go to Dumbledore. The thought made Ginny sigh inwardly.

Although she would have liked to, just to try and help him, she knew that Draco would ask for her help if he wanted it. Until then, she wouldn't meddle in his affairs. At least, not unless things got worse.

Ginny shivered, remembering the look of pain on Draco's face back in the dungeon. _How could things possibly get worse than that?_

Maybe she would go to Dumbledore after all.

Draco didn't know that though, which meant she still held a slight hope that he wouldn't change his mind.

That fragile hope was shattered when a second later, Draco had whirled back around to face her. He had been starting to walk away when he heard her parting comment.

"No, you won't." His voice was quiet, but firm. No reason, no explanation, just that statement of fact.

He must have been crazy yesterday, agreeing to tell her everything like that. What had he been thinking? 

That was the problem, he told himself. _He _hadn't _been thinking. _

Ginny whirled around to face him. 

"You have to tell me. We made a deal!" She was surprised by the sudden anger she felt. She had known that Draco might change his mind, why was it bothering her so much?

Because I care about him.

The thought came unbidden to her mind, and for a moment she could think of nothing else. She _cared_ about him? Where had that come from? 

Clearly a moment of insanity, she reasoned as she shook her head in outward denial. 

"I changed my mind." Draco interrupted her thoughts. Seeing Ginny's fire-fueled look, he quickly added, " I'm allowed."

This didn't set very well with Ginny at all, but she took a moment to attempt to calm her anger by convincing herself that a battered Draco would not be a pretty sight.

"Alright," she conceded, her voice tight. "I guess this matter will have to be taken to Dumbledore." 

Ginny was well aware that she sounded a lot like she was being a tattle-tale, but she couldn't think of anything else to do. Who knew, the next time whatever had happened to Draco could end up killing him. 

Not that there would be very many people who would miss him, but Ginny suddenly realized that she would be one of the few who would. If someone had told her two weeks earlier that she would miss Draco Malfoy if he were to fall off the face of the planet, she would have told _them_ to go antagonize a dragon. 

Not now.

She knew she would miss those gray, mostly emotionless eyes, and that silvery blonde hair that always framed his perfectly shaped face ever since he had finally gotten rid of the over-rated hair gel. And more than anything, she knew she would miss his smile. Not the smirk or sneer or mocking grin that he gave everyone else, but that one, genuine smile that he had given her in the potions classroom, before he'd been injured.

"Fine, go to Dumbledore." Draco said, surprising her. " It's your word against mine. No one else saw anything, and no else knows anything."

Ginny had to bite off a curse at his words. He was right. Why should Dumbledore believe her over Malfoy? She didn't think being the little sister of one of Harry Potter's best friends would make a very good argument.

Thinking hard, she could come up with no way around the situation. She couldn't prove anything. 

So I'll just have to wait until I can, she thought, a plan springing to life in her mind. 

Draco, who had been watching Ginny try to come up with a way to get Dumbledore to believe her, and then realize that she couldn't, was surprised to see that spark of fire twinkle in her luminous brown eyes once more and a smile pass across her face. He was even more surprised when she looked up and met his eyes a moment later.

"Okay, you win Draco. I'm not going to go to Dumbledore now."

__

And "now" is the key word.

"You're not?" Draco asked doubtfully. He could hardly believe that she'd give in without so much as a small fight.

"No, I'm not." Ginny smiled sweetly at him again, waiting for the inevitable question.

Draco didn't disappoint. "Why not?" His doubt had changed to sudden suspicion, and he found himself experiencing a feeling of great foreboding. Just what was she planning?

"No reason." she lied easily, feeling immensely gratified at the stunned look on his face as she turned and headed once more towards the Great Hall.

*

However shocked he was, Draco wasn't one to stand around like an idiot with his mouth hanging open in the middle of a fairly well used corridor. As soon as Ginny was out of sight, his senses returned, causing his jaw to shut with a snap. 

Draco looked hastily around, wondering whether anyone had noticed his momentarily unguarded expression. He saw a small group of Ravenclaw first years coming down the hall towards him, but they seemed to have been too far away at the time to have heard or seen anything. 

Still, Draco gave them his trademark Malfoy glare as they walked by, just to be safe.

It appeared to have the desired effect because the students' eyes widened and they tread carefully around him, then almost tripped over each other in their haste to get away after they had passed him.

Good. 

Draco permitted himself a small smile of triumph. It was nice to know that he still held sway over the larger part of the student population at least. Even if the youngest Weasley did present a problem to his authority over a situation. 

No matter how well thought-out and planned (to perfection, he might add) his remarks-or insults- were, Ginny always managed to surprise him. 

One moment, the conversation would be going exactly the way Draco had planned it, the next, she had, by all appearances, been taken hostage by something, enabling her to throw insults back in his face and completely turn the tables on him.

It was unnerving. 

He was so busy trying to figure out how that happened that he didn't even notice he was still standing in the middle of the hallway, a thoughtful look easily read on his face. 

"Draco?"

"Hmm?" Draco asked before snapping back to reality and glancing up at the man now standing in front of him. "I mean, yes, Professor Snape?"

It was the closest Draco ever came to a respectful tone.

" What _are_ you doing?" Snape asked, somehow managing to sound disapproving and mildly puzzled at the same time.

"Nothing. Nothing at all, Sir." Sure, Snape wouldn't suspect anything _now_.

"Obviously," the Professor said, frowning. "Well, if you intend to stand around daydreaming, perhaps it would be better done in the common room, where you won't become such an…attraction?"

Draco's head swung around, taking in the curious glances of several students who seemed to be standing around with no other motive in mind except to gawk at him. 

"Right," he agreed. The last thing he needed was to be the topic of school gossip.

Not that he wasn't already, it was just that before, the subject had always been his good looks and devastating Malfoy disposition. 

Draco wanted to keep it that way. 

Snape gave him another suspicious glance, but become distracted at the great clatter of noise that could be heard coming from the Great Hall. Without another word to Draco, he strode off in that direction, a disapproving frown hung firmly in place.

Draco watched him go, a bit curious as to what was causing all that racket himself. The group of students who had been standing so firmly rooted the spot around him just a moment ago, much like permanent fixtures, had disappeared entirely, apparently going to check out the source of the noise as well. 

Torn between reflecting privately back in the Slytherin common room and satisfying his most unwanted, but strangely dominant trait, curiosity, Draco finally had the decision decided for him. 

A young girl- she couldn't be more than a first or second year- came running by from the direction of the Great Hall, completely covered in something that looked suspiciously like scrambled eggs. She was clutching her book bag to her side, (it was also covered in food) and looking quite capable of bursting into tears at any given moment. 

Draco set off in the direction of the Great Hall warily, the sounds of shrieking students still filling his ears and another noise, something Draco couldn't place, but now had the sneaking suspicion he knew what it was. 

His speculation was confirmed a moment later when he reached the Hall. He had barely cracked open the door when a large, greasy piece of flying sausage hit him squarely in the face. 

A/N: Here we go. I re-edited this, so hopefully it's better. I have another question for you guys. I'm thinking of having part of some of the chapters take place at Malfoy Manor. Do you think this is a good idea? And what do you think the Manor should look like if I do? Any specific ideas? Thanks to all my reviewers. I'm pressed for time, so I can't list you all right now, but you'll be in the next chapter, I promise. Sorry this took so long to get out, I got kind of busy. Hope it was worth the wait. Please R/R everyone, and thank you again. Oh, I wanted to know if anyone would like to beta read for me. My last beta had to quit because of her busy schedule, so is there anyone interested? Okay, gotta go.

Excillian


	5. Food Fight!

****

Disclaimer: I…Own…Nothing. Duh. These things get kind of annoying after a while don't they? Oh well. *sigh*

Chapter 5: Food fight!

After Ginny had parted ways with Draco, she quickly made her way into the Great Hall, lips still split in a wide grin of triumph. She had finally gotten the better of Draco Malfoy. At least for a while, before he planned any revenge. In the back part of her mind, she still hoped that maybe he'd change his mind, and decide to tell her what was going on, but if he didn't, she planned on finding out herself. She was determined to help him, she couldn't think of anyone else who would. And though it might not be obvious to him, she could tell that he would need it. Besides, maybe if she helped him with something, they could be friends.

__

Or more, a tiny voice in the back of her brain taunted her. But Ginny quickly silenced it, appalled that she was thinking like that about a boy- any boy- but especially that one.

As she walked through the doors, she was surprised to find that most of the students were still there, eating breakfast as always. She must not have been as late as she thought. Looking towards the Gryffindor table, she was also a little relieved to be able to number Ron, Hermione, and Harry as three of the students still remaining. At least she wouldn't have to sit by herself. 

The four of them might not be great friends, and she might still consider herself an "outsider" in the little group they had formed, but at least the three of them were always there to _try_ to make her feel like she fit in. 

Ron chose that moment to look up from the table and spotted her instantly. He waved her over, and she saw the concerned look that she had dreaded seeing that morning. Oh well, she'd have to face him sometime, she supposed.

She waved back, smiling reassuringly back at Hermione, who looked a little apprehensive about the conversation she knew was coming. This seemed to relieve the older girl a bit, for she turned back around in her seat, and began whispering something to Harry, who listened intently.

__

Wonder what that was all about.

When Ginny sat down at the table beside her brother -they had saved her a seat- she was surprised to see Harry give her an encouraging look. Obviously Hermione had been telling him that a potentially sticky situation was coming up.

Both Harry and Hermione knew how much Ginny sometimes resented Ron's over-protection, and neither of them wanted to see a fight break out between the two siblings.

" Good morning," Ginny greeted them as she sat down, determined not say anything unless Ron asked first.

He did. 

" Are you sure your okay, Ginny?"

__

Here it comes.

" I know Hermione talked to you, but if something is wrong, you really ought to tell me, or at least tell Hermione, if it's something like…that."

Surprisingly, Ginny found that she was more amused at Ron's discomfort, which he was plainly showing by now, instead of being angry. She had thought that his prodding into her life would have made her mad, and it did, a little. But nothing could really knock her out of the high spirit that getting the better of Malfoy had put her in. 

She decided to have a little fun with Ron instead. Eyes sparkling, she shot an evil grin at Hermione and Harry before sending her brother an innocent look. " What do you mean, something like that?"

Ron was blushing right to the roots of his flaming red hair now, immensely embarrassed. " You know what I mean, Gin. Something like…like-"

Ginny gave in, unable to keep from feeling sorry for her brother, as he was so clearly uncomfortable with the subject. " I know what you mean, Ron, and if anything _was_ wrong, you know I'd tell you about it." She smiled at him, and patted his arm reassuringly before she added, " But since it's not, maybe you should finish your breakfast. You can have this too if you want." 

Ginny tossed a piece of bacon his way, laughing along with Harry and Hermione when it missed his plate and landed in his lap. " Oops, sorry," she told him, not sounding very sorry at all.

Ron looked down at the piece of greasy bacon lying in his lap, then back up at Ginny. " You bet oops," he told her. " You're going to pay for that, you little worm," he teased as he threw a biscuit at her.

Ginny dodged, laughing as she did so. All the thoughts about Draco that had been bothering her evaporated from her mind like water from a desert. It had been so long since she and Ron had fooled around like this. It made her realize how much she missed it.

She was trying to think of some way to get him back for the biscuit, when she heard a familiar voice from down the table. 

" Are you two having a food fight?" Dean Thomas called out. He sounded excited at the prospect, and was shooting mischievous looks at Seamus Finnigan. Ever since Fred and George left, the two seventh years had seemed to take it upon themselves to follow in their footsteps. So far, they had managed very well. 

" Of course they aren't," Hermione said quickly, shooting a nervous glance towards the teacher's table. The last thing they needed was to get in trouble for throwing food. She turned to Ron and Ginny. " You're not, are you?" she added as an afterthought, with a look that clearly said, 'don't you dare.'

Whatever their reply might have been, they never got the chance to answer her. The words "food fight" had spread down the table like wildfire, mainly thanks to the un-honorable efforts of Seamus and Dean, who were looking very pleased with themselves. And that was all it took. From there, the idea was spread to the rest of the houses and was being taken up. 

Ginny watched with wide eyes as several students stood up and began hurling food towards some of their friends. 

It wasn't long before the whole Hall was on their feet, food in hand.

Ginny swung back around in her seat, exchanging bewildered and slightly guilty looks with Ron. In a way, they were the one's who had started the whole thing. 

That was when the food began to fly, and Ginny was unable to think about anything else. It wasn't long before she, and everyone else at the table except Hermione- who seemed capable by sheer willpower to stay untouched- was covered in food.

Wiping ketchup off her face, Ginny glanced uncertainly at Hermione, who had gone a horrible shade of red, and looked as if she could have strangled both Ginny and Ron without a second thought. 

" Now look what you've done!" she hissed, gesturing unnecessarily towards the food flying around them. 

" It wasn't their fau-" Harry began, trying valiantly not to laugh, while at the same time cringing at the look on Hermione's face. He shut his mouth and hastily began a hopeless effort to clean his glasses, which were now covered in eggs. 

" We're going to be in so much tro-" Hermione completely ignored him, before she was stopped quite suddenly in mid-sentence as a syrup-covered waffle landed in her hair. 

Ginny watched in amazed fascination as Hermione jumped to her feet. She could almost hear Hemione thinking, _alright, that's it._ " Who threw that?" the seventh year called to everyone in general.

No one paid her the slightest bit of attention. Annoyed, Hermione, grabbed her own handfuls of food from her plate and began throwing them at anyone in sight. 

Taken completely by surprise, Harry, Ginny and Ron stared up at Hermione, incredulous.

" Hermione, what are you _doing_?" Ron asked, speaking for them all.

" Well," Hermione said smartly, looking less angry and more playful now that she'd joined the fray. " What's the use of being in the middle of a food fight if you don't throw food?"

All three of them sat, stunned into silence for a second. Suddenly Ginny realized that ever since she had started dating Ron, Hermione had lightened up a bit, and seemed to be loosing some of the 'all work, no play' attitude she'd had before. Ginny could definitely get used to her this way. She felt closer to Hermione than she had in years. 

Harry and Ron obviously felt the same way, because they glanced at Ginny and all three exchanged delighted grins. This was the chance they had been waiting for.

" Bloody good point!" Ron exclaimed as they all got to their feet. 

Ginny grabbed the untouched piece of sausage from her plate and smiled wickedly. " Hey, Harry."

" Huh?" Harry had been watching Ron, but he turned her attention to Ginny when she called.

" Think fast!" she yelled as she hurled the sausage his way.

All those years of Quidditch must have caused Harry to have very quick reflexes, because, although he was only just across the table from her, he managed to duck right in time. 

" Darn it," Ginny muttered, feigning disappointment, as Harry stood up, completely sausage free. 

This was fun. More fun than she'd had in a long time, in fact. It was one of those rare moments when she actually felt like she belonged there, and that Harry and Hermione weren't just nice to her because she was Ron's little sister.

" Missed me," Harry teased playfully, but Ginny didn't hear him.

She was too busy watching the doors of the Great Hall swing open slightly, and was suddenly overcome with a feeling of apprehension. She found out why when she saw the person who stepped through the door. 

Draco.

She had just had time to register the fact that it was him when a slice of sausage hit him promptly in the face. 

Ginny's eyes widened, and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She had just unintentionally hit Draco Malfoy in the face with sausage, and from the look on his face, he was furious.

Ginny tried unsuccessfully to control her laughter, but it was no use. It just kept coming.

That is, until Draco turned his head and looked right at her.

******************

After Draco had succeeded in removing the grease from his face with the edge of his cloak, he looked around hastily for the culprit, anger showing plainly on his features. Anyone with a shred of sense would have cringed inwardly and tried to keep as far away from him as possible after seeing that look. 

At first he saw no one, but then one of the students moved unknowingly to the side, and he found himself staring right into Ginny Weasley's surprised eyes. 

__

Now I know who threw the sausage.

Looking at her, Draco suddenly realized he had never actually _seen_ her eyes. He knew they were brown, he'd met them often enough in some of the glaring contests they'd been having lately, but he had never before noticed how potent they could be. He felt like if he looked into them long enough he would drown. _Very_ strange.

Ginny for her part, was standing there, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world, a guilty expression plastered across her face, obvious to any who cared to look, no matter how badly she tried to hide it.

Draco was about to give her one of his best glares, when he saw her mouth start to open, close, and then open again, almost hesitatingly mouthing the word " sorry".

The bad thing was, she actually looked sincere about it too, even if there was still a spark of laughter in her eyes.

Well, after that, he couldn't seem to be able to muster deadly look he had been going for. It just wouldn't come. 

So instead, he decided to ignore her, pretend she didn't exist. That would probably get under her skin better than a death glare anyway, considering she'd already been the victim of several of the best glowers he possessed, and they didn't seem to phase her a bit.

Ignoring her turned up being fairly easy, considering the loud, angry yelling that had just begun somewhere off to his left and was very distracting. 

Breaking eye-contact with her- a task in itself- Draco turned his gaze in the direction of the yelling, towards the high table. 

Severus Snape was standing there, covered in something Draco was positive had to be pancakes, yelling at the students in general, apparently trying to get their attention.

The only problem was, everyone was ignoring him. Completely.

" Sit down and stop this nonsense this instant!" Draco heard Snape bellow uselessly. 

As Draco watched, not one student so much as turned their head or gave the slightest inclination that they had heard him. 

__

Yeah, that worked. Draco rolled his eyes. The Potions Professor was already red in the face; whether from yelling, or from anger, Draco wasn't sure. 

When would he give it up already? Couldn't he see that he was having absolutely no effect on anybody? 

Of course, Draco figured he might be pretty mad too if some obnoxious student had covered him in food… 

__

Wait a sec, one already did, the thought flashed through his head. Oh, alright, she hadn't _covered_ him in sausage. But still.

Shaking his head, he realized that Snape was still shouting, and his red coloring had now began to change to a sickening green color. What was wrong with him? It was very unusual for Snape to lose his self control, Draco knew that first hand. But he had obviously lost it now. There was nothing Severus Snape hated more than to be ignored or laughed at. And the few students who had finally noticed him were doing both.

If Draco hadn't known how much Snape would despise it, he probably would have felt a little sorry for his Professor. But since he did, he decided he had probably better get him to be quite before he burst a blood vessel or something.

He had just started walking that way when a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Shifting his gaze, he saw that while all the other teachers had long since deserted the Great Hall, presumably in favor of a room where food was not flying around and splattering on people, Dumbledore was still there, covered as he was from head to foot in- you name it, he was wearing it.

What surprised Draco the most, was that the Headmaster actually seemed to be enjoying himself. There was a smile on his face, and Draco would have sworn that he looked positively merry. 

Shaking his head in disbelief, he stopped walking as he saw that Dumbledore was rising from his seat, heading for the distressed Potions Master. Dumbledore would make Snape calm down. 

As he stood there, he decided that he was very lucky not to be covered in food as well yet, and that he had better not taking any chances if he didn't want to ruin his cloak. His mother wouldn't be very pleased with him if he did; it had been a birthday present. 

He took up an observing stance against the wall; leaning back slightly, arms crossed, face unreadable. 

Dumbledore had finally managed to get Snape to be quiet, and the Professor now looked a little shocked by his own outburst. Draco saw him slowly wipe his wet brow, take a deep breath, and then stride quickly out of the room, probably to get some rest; at Dumbledore's suggestion, of course.

He was just starting to wonder what was going to happen next when the Headmaster walked back to the front of the room, head held high in a strict pose, but eyes sparkling amusedly. 

" I was going to announce something of what I'm sure would be of great interest to you all, but given the current…circumstances, I believe it will be best to wait until lunch."

This single sentence had a more profound effect on all the students than any of Snape's shouted threats or insults could have. After Dumbledore spoke, complete silence fell across the hall and everyone looked on expectantly, hoping he would reveal more of what he had planned to tell them. 

When he didn't, frenzied whispers broke out, each person trying to find out if his or her friends knew anything more than what had just been said. No one did.

Even Draco was surprised by the announcement. He racked his brain, trying to come up with some sort of explanation, but nothing came to mind. Nothing creditable anyway. 

Suddenly, he felt a strange creeping sensation on the side of his neck. The feeling you get when someone is watching you. Turning his head swiftly, he saw the flash of red hair and it's owner. 

Ginny was giving him a questioning look her eyebrows raised as if to say, " know anything?"

Draco almost shook his head in answer, but remembered just in time that he was supposed to be ignoring her. He turned away, looking back over at Dumbledore, who hadn't moved from his spot.

A few seconds later, Draco saw the man raise his hands in a "quiet down" motion as he claimed everybody's full attention once again. 

" Now that you've all had your fun, and I've effectively managed to end this "food fight" it is time for the hard part." He paused, casting an appraising glance over all the students, and Draco unconsciously shrank back a little when Dumbledore's piercing gaze reached him.

After a few more seconds, in which every student waited apprehensively, knowing that the Headmaster had more to say, and it probably wasn't going to be to their liking, Dumbledore continued. 

" Every student involved will stay and help with the clean up of the Great Hall. This is the perfect opportunity to give the house elves a well deserved break."

There was a collective groan from the most of the student body, but not much more. They all knew that helping clean up the mess was only fair, considering they had been the ones who made it.

Draco however, was not planning on sticking around to help. He hadn't technically been "involved". He hadn't thrown anything. 

Just as he was heading for the door, moving slowly and inconspicuously, he felt the unfamiliar touch of a warm hand on his arm, and he looked back around, to be caught once more in the seas of melted chocolate that were Ginny's eyes. 

He was going to jerk his arm harshly away from her hands-he meant to, he really did- but he found himself pulling away more slowly than he had intended. It had been a strange sensation, the feel of her fingers on his arm, but not necessarily an unpleasant one.

The absurdity of this thought stopped him from sinking further into her gaze, and he purposely kept his arms clenched tightly to his side.

Ginny, however, didn't seem to notice his reaction at all. Indeed, she was staring at him with a look bordering between anger and indignity.

Or was it both?

" What?" he threw out innocently, knowing that the chances of him getting away without talking to her were slim to none. She could be very stubborn when she wished.

" Thought you were ignoring me?" She said cryptically. 

" Yes, well, that's kind of hard to do when you grab my arm and I have to look at you." He kept the, " and when you look at me like that" part to himself. 

Ginny seemed to ponder this answer before nodding. " Do you know what Dumbledore was talking about? I've asked almost everyone else, but no one seems to know."

" Then what makes you think I do?" Draco replied, his eyebrows quirking slightly in a superior way.

" Never mind!" Ginny spat out angrily. " Excuse me for failing to use common sense and attempting yet again to have a civilized conversation with you. I'm _so _sorry." More angry with herself than at him, Ginny started to walk away. She should have known that that was how he would react. All arrogance and sarcasm; typical Draco.

She decided she was pretty stupid to have thought that things would change that much because of one smile in a lousy dungeon. Heck, the only reason it had probably even happened was because Draco was extremely stressed over the whole cleaning thing.

She had hoped that something might have changed. For some reason, she had found herself wishing that it would. But it was obvious now that it hadn't, and that it most likely wouldn't. She had been very stupid to think otherwise. Ginny suddenly found herself very close to tears, which succeeded in making her more angry and frustrated at herself. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Sure, she cared about him, but not this much. At least, she hadn't thought so. The only other boy who had ever driven her to tears was Harry, and- no, she was not even going to go there. It wasn't worth thinking about.

Before she had very much more time to wallow in self-pity and strangle herself, she felt a light, hesitant touch on her shoulder. 

Stunned, she stood totally still for a moment, not even turning around. Not daring to hope that it might have been him. 

She stood that way for at least of minute, not moving, hardly even breathing. Her stomach was fluttering crazily in her stomach, and she wondered again what was wrong with her. Was she going crazy? It wasn't like he even liked her or anything…

Finally, she could stand it no longer, and with the air of someone about to either meet her death or see victory, she turned around to look. 

There was no one there.

A/N: So, yay or nay, what do you think? I tried to bring a little bit more of what they were starting to feel for each other out in this chapter, more so on Ginny's part than Draco's. But don't worry, he'll come around. Did I leave you with an evil cliffy or what? It just seemed like a good place to stop. I'm sorry it took so long to get this out, especially since it is a little shorter than my other chapters. But hopefully, the next one won't take so long, especially since I've already written it, and am just finishing it up.

Thanks again to all my reviewers: goodgirlsbadboys, Black Pearl, jellybean, Mystical Stormz, calikocat, Adie, Pseuonym Sylphmuse, Sydney Wood, Daemon Sorceress, Stone Cooper, Beccs, Nezumi, Crystal, Lucia Dreams, and several more anonymous ones. 

I really put forth the effort for you guys. Everyone else that hasn't reviewed, please do so immediately after this. PLEASE. And I've decided to have part of the story take place in Malfoy Manor. Yeah! I won't promise how much, but I like the idea and I think it will be fun to write. Oh, I have a beta now, thanks everyone. Okay, guess that's all for now.

Excillian 


	6. Challenges

Disclaimer: JKR owns all. I'm just playing around with her characters.

Chapter 6: Challenges

The few hours between breakfast and lunch seemed to take days, as if they were purposely dragging themselves out, to the unanimous horror of the entire student body. 

Everyone was on edge about the coming announcement, including Ginny Weasley. After they had cleaned up the Great Hall,-which surprisingly, took less than two hours with everyone pitching in to help- she immediately headed for the Gryffindor Common room, and from there she went on to her dormitory. 

She needed time to think. And to figure out just why she was all of a sudden feeling so…weird. She had almost been in tears back there for crying out loud. That wasn't like her at all.

She hardly ever cried, and even less in public. In fact, as she lay on her bed pondering, she realized that she had _never _cried in public. What was going on?

It had to be Draco. He'd woven a spell over her or something. But wait, why would he bother? Those silver, dreamy eyes and that blonder-than-blonde hair were enough to make any girl with eyes drool over him. 

And the big question: Had that been him back there in the Great Hall? That light, warm touch that had haunted her thoughts all the way back to her room?

__

Not again. 

Ginny groaned. No matter how hard she tried, her thoughts just kept going around in circles, turning back in on themselves. She needed something else to think about for a while. Something not Draco-related.

She sat up on her bed, thankful that the room was empty and she wasn't having to answer any questions about why she, Ginny Weasley, was moping around in bed in the middle of the day.

A slight shimmer in the corner of her eye as she moved caught her attention, and she turned to look closer. 

A couple of feet away, on the end of one of her year mates bed, lay a beautiful silver bracelet, the top carefully crafted into the shape of a butterfly, its diamond eyes catching the sunlight coming in through the open window and causing it to glitter, leaving tiny rainbows to dance around on the bed. 

Though she didn't know whether or not it was real, Ginny realized that she had never seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry. Speaking of jewelry, she thought that that bracelet would probably make an even more beautiful necklace. Necklaces…

Unfortunately, this train of thought led her right back to the one subject she had most hoped to avoid. 

Draco…

She frowned suddenly, lost in thought. Just what was with him and that amulet, or whatever you wanted to call it. Somehow, she got the feeling that it was more than just a rare piece of jewelry.

She remembered the way his hand always seemed to be unconsciously reaching for it, and the way he had grasped it tightly the day before in the classroom. He had been holding it so firmly his knuckles had turned white. Holding it like he would never-could never-let go.

She shivered, remembering his pale, drawn face, beaded with drops of cold sweat. 

Whatever had happened down there, she felt certain that it had something to do with that necklace. She knew that necklaces and pendants and things were often cursed, or spelled- usually with disastrous results. Maybe Draco's necklace was something like that. Cursed.

Of course, she'd never heard of any sort of curse that could cause someone as strong as Draco to be left shaking and sick, as if they had just undergone some terrible ordeal. 

Or had she? 

Suddenly the words of a long forgotten lesson resurfaced in her mind, forcing out all other thoughts, until only three words were left coursing through her mind.

The Cruciatus Curse.

That had to be it. It was the only thing that even remotely made sense. But it couldn't be, could it?

Ginny wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was suddenly getting a very, _very,_ bad feeling about this.

She was interrupted by the sound of the door banging open. Her head jerked up, her eyes following a millisecond later, just in time to see two other sixth years walk through the door, chattering aimlessly. 

Ginny thought she caught the words " Dumbledore" and " important announcement" before they noticed her.

Seeing Ginny, they stopped. 

" Oh, sorry Gin, we didn't know there was anyone in here. You aren't trying to sleep or anything are you? I mean, I know you slept late this morning, so you can't possibly still be sleepy can you?" Allyda Farren, better known as Ally, was one of the most talkative girls in school. Say one word, and she could give you about fifty in return, just off the top of her head. She loved make-up and clothes, and with the help of her parents, she usually had more than even she could ever wear. That didn't stop her from buying more though. She also happened to be one of the nicest- if slightly shallow- girls in Ginny's year. Which explained why they were friends.

The other girl was also in Ginny's year. Londy Haret was slightly less fashion-obsessed than Allyda, and she was also a lot more perceptive. 

" You're not sick are you?" She asked, concerned. She must have seen Ginny's tense expression before she had been able to hide it.

" No," Ginny answered, a bit too quickly, " I'm fine." She gave them what she hoped was a sincere look before jumping energetically up from the bed. " I was just…um…looking-looking for a book. Yeah, that's it," she finished unconvincingly, making a show of looking through the covers on her bed. As if a book would be hidden there somewhere. 

__

God, I'm a pathetic liar.

The bad thing was, she found herself having to do it more and more often. First it had just been about why she slept late and whether she was sick or not, now the list had expanded to include lying to her friends about why she was in her own dormitory. It wasn't like they were really bad lies or anything, but it was the fact that before her detentions had started with Draco, she hadn't had to lie at all. Of course, she could just tell them the truth, that she was worried about Draco. 

On second thought…no way, not happening. Even Ally and Londy would think she was going insane if she gave them that line. 

No, she would just have to keep lying. And there was going to be a lot more to lie about once classes and her detentions started again on Monday. The only bright part was that she wouldn't have that week with Draco, so she could probably make something up about why she was in detention. 

That was a good thing wasn't it?

" Um, Ginny, I don't think that a book is just going to magically appear on the bed- oh wait, I guess it could…" Up until Londy had received her letter from Hogwarts, she hadn't known anything about magic. It showed too. She was always starting to say how things didn't magically appear, before remembering that indeed they did, at least in the wizarding world. Old habits die hard, she guessed. 

" Huh?" Ginny snapped back into reality. " Oh, the book…right." 

Ally and Londy were exchanging puzzled glances now. Ginny was sure she was acting like a total freak. 

__

Great, that will make me even more of an outcast.

It really wasn't that she didn't have friends or anything, it was just that she tended to keep to herself, and after what had happened in her first year…Well, people just tended to let her. Even Ally and Londy weren't really close friends, they were just people she could sometimes talk to.

" I just remembered I left it down in the common room, I guess I'll go get it." Ginny continued hastily, blurting out the only thing she could think of. Without waiting for acknowledgment, Ginny swept out the door, forcing herself to keep her pace at a moderate walk instead of bursting into a run like she desperately wanted to do.

She felt the two girls' confused eyes on her back until she turned the corner and went out of sight. That was a relief. Ginny felt a huge sigh release itself and she headed down the stairs. She'd have to find somewhere else to go now, she supposed. It would look pretty stupid to walk back into the dormitory without her "book". Besides, Ally was much too likely to ask questions that Ginny didn't particularly care to answer, especially the ones about her sanity.

She reached the common room, surprised to see that there weren't very many people there. Then again, it was a weekend, they were probably out on the grounds, enjoying the sunshine (it wouldn't last much longer), or hanging out with friends in the corridors. 

For her part, Ginny had decided that she would pay a visit to the library. It would probably be mostly deserted, considering that most of the students wouldn't be caught dead in there when they didn't have to be. In fact, she was counting on it. 

There was only one person she was worried about running into. Hermione. It was very likely that she would be there studying, as usual. She thought she had heard Hermione mention it before they split up after they had finished cleaning the Great Hall. Something about a Transfiguration test coming up next week… 

At least Harry and Ron weren't going to be there. She knew for a fact that Harry had Quidditch practice from 10 o'clock until lunchtime, and Ron had been planning on going to watch. 

That meant that Ginny would just have to avoid Hermione. The older girl normally sat at the same table, so Ginny could just make sure she gave it a wide berth and kept her head down. 

__

Not that I really had anything to hide, she told herself. If anyone questioned her, she could just say that she was studying for class. No one would know any different. But she would know that the books she was looking in weren't for class. She was going to see if she could find anything on Draco's necklace. 

The more she thought about, the more she was certain that it was the key to figuring out what was going on. Perhaps it would be in a book. At least, she hoped so. She didn't know what she would do if she couldn't find it there.

Ask Draco maybe? Yeah right, who was she trying to fool? The library was her only hope. 

She made her way to the doors with the unthinking ease that only comes with long practice or repetition. And Ginny had traveled this specific path almost as much as Hermione had. Before she knew it, the great doors loomed before her, and she pushed one open slightly, sliding in through the relatively small opening. 

As she had hoped, there were very few students present and she was able to make her way over to the row of bookcases she thought might possibly contain the information she needed without incident.

Ginny spent the better part of two hours pouring over every book the library could offer on magical pendants, enchanted amulets, and bewitched necklaces. She had only been interrupted once, when a book a few feet away had seemed to fall off of its shelf on its own accord. Immediately suspicious, Ginny had looked around carefully, but there was no one in sight. She went back to her reading. 

The search turned up nothing. Discouraged, she stood up to put the books she had gathered back on their appropriate shelves and head down to the Great Hall, noticing with a quick glance at her watch that lunch was fast approaching. She had just started placing the last couple of books back in their proper places when the bottom one accidentally fell from her grasp. She waited until she had returned the others to the shelf before she reached down to pick it up. 

Before she could close the cover and replace it on the book shelf, a tiny picture in the corner of the right hand page caught her attention. Though it was too small to see with any great clarity, she couldn't help but notice that it looked an awful lot like the necklace Draco wore so protectively around his neck. Too much like it.

She couldn't believe she had completely missed it the first time she had searched this book. Then again, it was very small… 

Ginny bent closer to the book, her nose just scant inches away as she tried to make out the picture better. A tiny caption located just under it read:

__

The Soul Keeper: The magical pendant said to have been made by Salazar Slytherin himself. This enchanted necklace was supposedly brought into existence to-

Here the words got smaller and smaller until they were impossible to read. 

" Darn it!" Ginny burst out in frustration. She had finally found something, even if it was only a little bitty picture with a few words under it that might help her, and she couldn't even read all of it. What was the deal with that anyway? Had the author been _that _pressed to save space? 

As she tried in vain to read the tiny print, another line a few spaces down caught her interest.

__

See Dark Magical Necklaces and Their Dark Purposes for more information on the above necklace.

That was it? She was being sent to hunt down another book? Well, it was something to go on. To bad she didn't have any more time right now. Already she could hear the few students who were in the library beginning to move around, presumably heading towards the Great Hall for lunch- and the highly anticipated "announcement". She could stay and search it out some more, but Ginny really didn't want to miss that. She had a feeling that whatever Dumbledore planned on saying, it was important. 

She would have to come back later. Flipping the book she held in her hands closed, she looked closely at the title- _Enchanted Jewelry_- memorizing it, and the name of the book she would be searching for later. Both would be good to know for future reference.

Then, with one last glance at the old, worn book, she replaced it on its shelf and made her way out of the library.

******************************

Almost every seat was filled by the time Draco reached the Great Hall. Not that he had to worry. No one, absolutely no one, ever took his seat. 

He crossed the hall quickly, glancing around with curiosity. The place usually didn't get this full until after 12:15 at the earliest. Then he remembered; this was when Dumbledore was supposed to reveal the big mystery.

As he took his seat, he couldn't help wondering what was going to be announced. Neither could the rest of the students it seemed. On his left, Pansy kept up a constant stream of chatter about what she thought it might be, while Draco sat there looking bored, not even pretending to listen. His mind was on other things.

First and foremost: Ginny Weasley. After she had walked away from him that morning, angry and hurt, he had done something he had never believed possible. He had actually felt bad for getting her upset, and had tried to comfort her. At least a little. He had made sure she hadn't seen him of course, making her wonder whether she had really felt his hand on her shoulder, or if she had just imagined it. 

A little cruel maybe, but he really couldn't believe he had done anything in the first place. It was so…so…un-Draco-ish. Not at all characteristic of a Malfoy. Or even a Slytherin for that matter. Nevertheless, he had done it.

And what was even more strange, he had realized not long after, was that it had actually felt good. He had liked being able to give her a little bit of comfort. Even if he had turned right around and left her wondering. And better yet, the necklace hadn't done anything. Not one time did he get sucked into the dark room, faced again with the same nameless horror. 

He was beginning to think that the Voice, whatever it was, could only come at certain times. As of yet, he wasn't sure when it could and when it couldn't, but it was obviously not there all of the time, or else he would have already suffered for that solitary act. 

That was something at least. It gave him hope. 

Now he would just have to find out what it was that was doing this to him, and-hopefully- rid himself of it. And he would have to do it soon, before that "thing" came back. He had already noticed that although nothing had happened to him, he still couldn't take the necklace off. He would have to find a way to get out of that too. Thankfully, he now thought he might have somewhere to start. 

It had happened because of pure luck and random chance, but Draco was already feeling grateful for it. He had been studying in one of the back, less used corners of the library, when he had heard footsteps and looked up to see Ginny Weasley walking past. She hadn't seemed to notice him, which hadn't surprised him. She had had a determined look on her face, not even glancing towards the more shadowed section where he sat hidden. 

He saw her though, and after the scene that morning, he couldn't help wondering what she was doing back in the far reaches of the library. The words she had spoken earlier kept echoing through his head, and he decided to follow her to see what she was up to. Ginny Weasley had never before been the kind to drop a subject so fast like she had that morning when he had told her to go and tell Dumbledore what was happening. He had known that she must have something in mind, and this might be his one and only chance to find out what it was. 

He waited until she had rounded the corner, then slowly, so as not to attract her attention, and quietly, he stood and made his way down the path she had taken. From a vantage point behind a row of books, he had watched as she had taken down almost all the books off of one shelf and placed them on a table, before sitting down to read. 

Well, not really read, he had realized, as he looked closer. More like scan. She was flipping through the pages too fast to have read them, and Draco concluded that she must have been looking for something specific. Moving closer, he was a mere few feet away when his hand slipped, accidentally hitting the bookshelf and knocking a book off on the other side. 

He ducked instantly, holding his breath. He didn't think she had seen him, but he couldn't really tell…

A few minutes later though, no one had come around the corner of the bookcase, demanding to know what he was doing, so he figured he was relatively safe. He stood back up.

He watched her for what must have been hours, but seemed like only minutes. Sitting there, her brilliant red hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and biting her lip in frustration, she looked more angelic to him than a whole host of heavenly beings could have hoped to be.

There was something about her, he wasn't sure what, but he felt inexplicably drawn to her. Like a small, weak fish being pulled ever onward by the irresistible tug of a whirlpool. The thought caused him to shiver, and not for the first time, he wondered if his life would ever be the same. It seemed to have changed completely since that night on the Quidditch Pitch when she had found him flying aimlessly through the storm and pushed him off his broom. 

Looking at her, Draco wasn't sure he wanted it to.

He continued to watch as she poured over book after book, until she finally seemed to realize how close it was to lunch and she got up to start putting books back on the shelves. He retreated a little way back at this, not wanting to risk getting caught. Which was why he was at a good angle, and could easily see the book that dropped from her hands. At first, he didn't pay it any attention until he noticed that she had suddenly taken a great interest in it when she had picked it up. From the expression on her face, Draco was pretty sure that she had found whatever it was she was looking for. He saw her face move closer to the book, until it was just inches away, and he wondered what she could possibly be reading that would require her to be that close to the book. 

Did the girl need glasses?

He also heard her muttered exclamation as she obviously saw something she didn't like, and the way she seemed to be memorizing something before she placed the book back on the shelf and rushed out. Apparently, she had decided to come back after lunch and finish whatever it was she was looking for. 

After making sure she was gone, Draco slipped around to the other side of the case, going exactly to the spot where Ginny had replaced the book. Pulling it out, he glanced quickly at the cover before heading out of the library himself. 

Now back in the Great Hall, the roar of students all around, Draco knew he would have to go back and look through the book, page by page, to find what it was that had so captivated Ginny's attention. Hopefully he could get to it when she wasn't there. 

Now that he knew the name of the book, it was even more important that he find out what she had found. It was obvious that she had connected the necklace with his "attack" and she seemed determined to discover more. Now that she had done the research, maybe Draco could find out and use what she had discovered. It was worth a shot anyway. 

He was suddenly jolted back to the world around him when he realized that everyone around him had suddenly stopped talking. In fact, everyone in the Great Hall had stopped talking. It was this distinct lack of sound that had caught his attention. 

Following the gazes of the rest of his housemates, he saw that Dumbledore was now standing at the front of the room, hands held up for quiet. For once, every single person there was giving it to him.

" I know that you are all highly anticipating what I am going to tell you," Dumbledore began, " so I shall get straight to the point." His eyes twinkled merrily as he allowed his words to hang in the still silent air. " Students of Hogwarts, I hereby issue you a challenge."

A/N: Alright, kind of a cliffie, hmm? What do you think? This chapter was much easier to write than the last one, everything just seemed to come to me, flowing out of my hands like-well, magic. Lol. Hope you all like it, and remember to review everyone. 

A big thank you to all of you who have already reviewed my last chapter: dreammaker128 (Of course Draco's not on drugs! Not that he's told me about anyway…lol.), Lady Megan (You wanted more, you got it. Hope you enjoyed it), MysticalStormz (I seem to have a thing for cliffies. Looks like you're going to be left in suspense again. *grins*), jellybean (thanks again), Spriteth (thank you!), Pseudonym Sylph muse ( I know what you mean. That last chapter just didn't seem as right as the others to me either. And it was shorter. Hopefully I'm back on track now. Thank you.), and Carebear19 (Evil? Nah, never. Thanks) 

Till next chapter, 

*Rachealle*

****


	7. MindSpeak

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything except the plot and a few minor characters belong to JKR and WB and everyone else involved. (They know who they are, even if I don't…) 

Chapter 7: Mind-Speak 

Ginny heard Dumbledore's words through a thick haze of other thoughts. What had he said? 

She tried to clear her mind, to make herself think, but she couldn't get the image of The Soul Keeper out of her head. Now that she knew what that necklace of Draco's was, and who it was associated with…

Well, things just kept going from bad to worse. 

The instant chatter that broke out after the Headmaster's words finally pulled her out of her trance-like state. 

" I wonder what he means?" Ron was asking her quietly. 

" What?" Ginny asked, confused.

" I said, I wonder-" Ron started to repeat his question.

" No, not that." Ginny asked him to tell her what Dumbledore had said.

Ron, looking at her as if she had suddenly become a ghost, complied. " He said that he was giving us a challenge."

" What kind of challenge?"

" Gee, Ginny, if I knew that, I wouldn't have asked you what he meant, would I?" Ron rolled his eyes. " Don't you listen to anything anymore?" 

Ginny ignored him, focusing her attention on Dumbledore, who seemed to be waiting patiently for the talk to end before continuing. She wished the other students would quit running their mouths already. Didn't they realize that the sooner they shut up, the faster they would learn what they wanted?

Eventually, everyone seemed to catch on to what should have been an obvious fact, and quiet reigned in the Hall again. 

" Some of you may be wondering what I'm talking about," Dumbledore began.

__

And the Understatement of the Year award goes to…

" so I'll get right to it," he finished. " This year, the teachers and I have come up with a wonderful idea for individual students to challenge themselves, and one another, while at the same time participating to earn points for their house." 

Dumbledore paused, but no one made any move to speak. They were all too intrigued to delay him any longer. Even Ginny found herself leaning forward, anticipation coursing through her veins. She didn't know what the Headmaster was about to say, but she felt that it would be important. It _sounded_ interesting.

" Any student interested, as long as they are in their sixth or seventh year, may participate. All you have to do is sign your name on the form which will be posted in the corridor right outside the Great Hall." 

There were several groans at this, as some of the younger students, eager to prove themselves, discovered that they would not be able to take part.

" Here is how this works. All students who sign up will be paired with a partner. Each team will then be given a separate challenge that they have to meet by the end of one month. Since September is nearly over, partners will receive their first challenge on the first day of October. Which, for those of you who don't keep track of the date," he smiled, "is this Monday. That gives everyone ample time to sign up. At the end of that month, every team that has completed their assignment will show proof of it. For some teams, they will have to prepare for a certain event and will be tested on it." 

What was going on? Ginny couldn't help wondering. Nothing like this had ever been heard of before! She felt excited, but at the same time, she was starting to get very nervous. What would happen if they failed? 

As if he had read her mind, Dumbledore proceeded. " There is no punishment or dishonor if you fail, you simply do not pass your challenge, and the game is over. But if you win, you and your partner move on to the next round." Dumbledore paused to let the students absorb this. " I won't lie to you. Your tasks will not be easy. The farther you get, the harder the assignments will become. At the end of the year, there will probably be only one team left. Those two students will be honored for their hard work and diligence with one hundred points apiece for their respective houses." 

Instantly, the silence was broken as students tried to imagine themselves winning that many points for their house. It could mean the difference between winning the house cup and losing it. Many were concerned about the nature of the challenges themselves. What would they have to do? 

Ginny however, was becoming impatient with the constant interruptions. They could talk later, but right now they needed to hear what he had to say. Harry, Ron, and Hermione seemed to feel the same way, because they kept exchanging glances and looking around with slightly disgusted expressions at all the students who couldn't keep their mouths closed for more than ten seconds. 

Dumbledore had quite a hard time restoring order, and after 5 minutes of, " Quiet please, quiet" it still wasn't working. 

Suddenly, Dean Thomas jumped up from his place at the Gryffindor table. " Can everyone PLEASE be quiet! I, for one, would like to hear what else the Headmaster has to say." Dean's loud voice got the message across. After a few more snide comments about loud mouth Gryffindors, silence returned. 

" Thank you Dean," Dumbledore said, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. " As I was saying, the winning team receives one hundred points apiece for their efforts, and a trophy with their names on it will be awarded to them." He stopped, looking out into the faces of the students, many of who were still open mouthed at the whole "challenge" idea. 

" Thank you all for your time, you may get back to your lunch now." With that, Dumbledore returned to his seat at the high table and fell into discussion with several of the professors. 

Ginny watched, sure that they were talking about the effect his speech had had an the students. Sure enough, everyone was talking animatedly, and when Ginny turned back around, she saw that Ron, Harry, and Hermione were already deep in discussion themselves. 

She could have joined in, she knew, but instead, she stayed quiet, content just to let things flow around inside her own mind. The teachers were challenging the students, huh? Well, Ginny figured that she had no choice but to accept. She _wanted_ to accept. While the details of what they would be doing were still a mystery, she couldn't deny the fact that the whole idea sounded fun. It was like a competition. Let's see who wants to win the most and make them work for it. Even as she contemplated the motive behind the "game" she couldn't help but shake her head in admiration at the ingeniousness of it. The Headmaster and the Professors had found a subtle, yet effective way of making the older students learn more. The first of the challenges probably included simple things, researching the ingredients of a rare potion, writing essays on a certain, hard-to-come-by subject, or something of the kind. Things where lots of research was required. After that, they'd probably have students learn certain tough spells and then perform them. Each time, the ranks of advancing students would get smaller, until there was only one group left. But along the way, they were sure to have at least half of the two oldest years studying harder than ever before. 

Pure brilliance.

*********************************

At the same time Ginny was admiring the intricacies of Dumbledore's challenge, Draco Malfoy's thoughts were moving much along the same lines. 

__

What a really clever way to get the students all psyched up and learning more without them even realizing it. 

Draco honestly hadn't known the old man had it in him. 

__

Yes, quite clever, isn't it?

Draco about knocked the table over as he jumped, startled. Several of his housemates gave him inquiring glances, while some just sent him disdainful stares that flat out said, " Stop acting stupid". 

Draco ignored them all, trying to pretend instead that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. 

And it almost worked too, for a moment. Until Draco heard it's laughter in his head. 

__

" What do you want?" he asked quietly, keeping his face averted from any curious gazes and hoping that no one would hear him and think he was talking to himself. That would ruin his perfect sanity record for sure, and it would be goodbye Hogwarts, hello St. Mungo's. Not a pleasant thought.

Still, as low as his whisper was, it seemed to be enough.

__

What do I want? Why, nothing of course. At least not yet. Can't an person just check up on his friends every once in awhile?

Person? Friend? When had this interesting new development occurred? Before Draco could open his mouth to ask questions, The Voice spoke up again.

__

Silly boy. You don't have to talk out loud for me to hear you. Speak in your mind, like I do.

Was it crazy?! Very few witches and wizards could mind speak. It was a very rare gift. _Still, _Draco thought, _maybe it's different when something is already speaking to you like that first._

So he tried it. In the middle of the Great Hall, with students talking loudly all around, and the constant clatter of forks and spoons in his ears, Draco closed his eyes and concentrated. 

__

Can you hear me? He tried.

Nothing. 

__

Now? This time Draco didn't just try to think the words in his mind. He focused on directing them to the Voice that had been talking to him.

Again, nothing happened. But just when he was about to give up, just when he had decided that there was too much noise to concentrate correctly, he felt a faint presence in the back of his mind that had been missing before. 

The feeling was familiar, and for the first time Draco realized that what he felt, that presence, was the same thing he felt when the Voice spoke to him, and when he had been trapped in that dark room of his nightmares. 

Strange, how he'd never even noticed that he could _feel _it in his mind before. 

__

Can you hear me? Draco directed the thought toward the section of his mind where he felt the thing lurking. 

__

Now you're getting it.

It sounded pleased. 

__

You won't be nearly so hard to talk to now. Thoughts are a much easier and faster way to communicate than speech is. Much easier for me to understand too. I have trouble understanding spoken words now.

What was it talking about? The only time it had ever come to Draco before was to hurt him, and now all of a sudden it was trying to be conversational? What gave? 

Draco wondered if the Voice realized what it had given away with that single statement. It had trouble understanding spoken speech, huh? That was good. It was information. Draco could work with that. He had already come to the conclusion that he had to get rid of this _thing._ He didn't want anyone trying to control him, which was exactly what it was trying to do. Control him.

__

But I won't let that happen. 

Even now, Draco's mind was fast at work, trying to examine the problem from all possible angles and come up with a solution. To bad the only picture he kept seeing was of Ginny sitting in the library earlier…

A soft laugh. _So, the girl is dominating your thoughts now. How sweet._

It didn't sound like it thought it was sweet at all. In fact, the same distaste, the same disdain that had been in it's voice the day before was back. But this time it was stronger. 

__

You must stay away from her Draco. She'll keep you from your purpose.

What purpose? Draco wanted to ask. Instead, he asked the other question that came to mind first. _What if I don't want to stay away from her?_

So, you want to make this difficult do you? That's fine, I can handle that if I must. But remember this Draco, things will go better on you if you cooperate.

What are you talking about?!! Draco almost yelled in mind-speak. This game was getting old fast. _What do I have to cooperate with?_

Silence. And then, a single, faint sound. The sound of soft, mocking laughter.

*************************************************

After lunch, Ginny rushed from her seat. Since Gryffindor table was closest to the door, she was one of the first into the corridor to look at the list. It was blank so far. Several other students were gathered around, but none of the older one's moved to put their names up. 

Pushing through them politely, Ginny tried to reach for the pen that was hanging beside the sign up paper. Seeing what she was trying to do, the students blocking her way moved back.

Quickly, for the crowd of students was becoming much larger, she signed her name on the top line. Stepping back, she found she was a little proud of herself. She had been the first one to sign up for the "challenge". 

She was watching several more students sign their own names, so she didn't notice when three other people came to stand beside her at first. 

" Did you sign up, Gin?" Hermione asked. She seemed a little nervous, like she wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole thing. 

Ginny glanced up quickly, but before she had a chance to answer, Harry spoke up. " Of course she did. Ginny never turns down a challenge, do you?"

Ginny grinned. " No way." She glanced towards Ron, then back at Harry and Hermione. " Are you three going to sign up?"

Ron answered first. " I don't know about them, but I am. It sounds like it'll be fun. Besides, it's a chance to earn Gryffindor a hundred points. After the little incident where we were out after curfew, it would be good to get those points back."

Harry agreed. " Yeah, I'm signing up too. Wouldn't miss it for the world." He paused, seemingly to think about that for a minute. " Okay, maybe I would miss it for the _whole _world…"

Ginny laughed along with Harry and Ron, but Hermione was unusually silent. 

" What about you, Herm?" Ginny asked when she realized that Hermione wasn't joining in. 

The older girl frowned, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. " I don't know. It sounds awfully dangerous. And risky. Dumbledore didn't give us any idea what to expect for the challenges. What if we're supposed to fight a dragon or something?"

Everyone was quiet at that. 

Then Harry put in, " Well, it's really not _that _bad. Fighting a dragon, I mean. Its when it starts fighting back that's the problem." 

For the first ten seconds, no one said anything. Then they all burst into laughter at once. 

Hermione even had the good grace to smile at herself. " I guess I am being a little paranoid, aren't I?" She sighed. " Alright, I'll do it. Count me in." She started for the sign up line, Ron and Harry in tow. 

" Let's just hope that two of us get paired up together. I wonder how they're choosing partners anyway…" Ginny heard Hermione saying as they walked off, her voice growing fainter as they disappeared into the crowd. 

Ginny stood to the side for a few more minutes, silently laughing at the way everyone was trying to make their way to the form at one time, shoving and pushing each other around in the process.

She started on her way down the hall, mind full of questions. She had gotten halfway to the Gryffindor Common Room before she suddenly remembered.

The library!

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she reached the double doors in record time. 

She headed for the back of the room, wanting to double check the title of the other book to make sure she had it right. She had no sooner began approaching the correct bookshelf when she noticed that something didn't seem right. There was an empty place where a book had once been. A horrible sensation gripped her.

She slowed her pace, knowing what she would find. Just to be sure, she looked anyway.

__

Enchanted Jewelry was nowhere to be found. 

A/N: Big thank you to all my reviewers. Several of you have been with me for most of this story, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Happy reviewing to everyone (yes, everyone. That means you, who are reading this right now). I know guys, it's another cliffy, but heh, it's not nearly so bad as the next one is going to be. I'll tell you right now, the next chapter was one of my favorites to write, but it has a totally unexpected ending and a mean cliffy. I wouldn't be surprised if several of you tried to jump over after it, hehe. One more thing. If you would like to be emailed when the next chapter is up, tell me in your review and I'll put you one my list. I'll notify you as soon as the chapter is uploaded. Thanks.

Excillian 


	8. Ice Cold

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The chapter is dedicated to Mystical Storm for her extra help on this and for being a wonderful reviewer. Thanks, Myst!

Chapter 8: Ice Cold

Draco left the Great Hall quietly, making his way inconspicuously down the corridor, carefully treading around the flocks of students gathered there. 

Every student in the school too young to sign up seemed intent on watching all the older ones who could, for no evident reason, other than flat-out curiosity maybe. Like they didn't have better things to do. Pathetic.

Draco, of course, had plenty of "better" things to do, but only one that required immediate thought and action. 

Get to the library. 

He had to make sure he saw that book before Ginny checked it out or something. It was the only way to discover what she was doing. It sure wasn't research for school, who did that without taking notes?

As he walked, he looked about him carefully, feeling a sense of relief when he spotted the pretty redhead on the opposite side of the corridor, talking happily with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Maybe they would keep her busy for a while. 

When he was out of sight of the crowd, he broke into a quick jog, not quite desperate enough for a headlong run. Still, it got him there well enough, and within moments of entering the room, he was in the back section, looking for the right title. 

Finding the book he was after, he opened it to the first page.

That's when he realized that he had a problem. He had no idea what Ginny had seen in the book, and it was at least 500 pages long. How was he supposed to find-whatever it was he was looking for?

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to debate the question because Ginny chose that moment to walk into the library. If it hadn't been for that flash of red hair coming quickly through the doors, Draco was positive he never would have seen her. As it was, he barely had time to register the information and get out of sight before she came racing around the corner of the bookshelf.

Looking around him, Draco noticed that he was in the same spot he had watched her from earlier that day. _Once again, I'm hiding in the shadows. And I don't even have a diabolical scheme that I'm trying to put into action! _

Also like earlier that morning, he watched with bated breath as Ginny ran to the bookshelf and began searching. After looking through the row twice, she finally seemed to come to the conclusion that it just wasn't there. 

The look on her face was pure annoyance, which quickly changed to anger. Then, just as quickly, even her anger seemed to dissipate. 

Draco saw her take a deep breath, as if calming herself. Then, slowly and carefully, she went over the whole bookshelf. Nothing. 

At first, she seemed at a loss to what to do next, but then a thought seemed to cross her mind and she turned around and headed straight for Madame Pince's desk. 

That was what Draco had been waiting for. With the chance of discovery gone, he walked hurriedly away from that section, then, slowing to a normal speed, he exited the room, book safely in tow. To anyone else, it would look like he had simply checked out a book and left. 

__

Now to find out what she knows.

*********************************

Ginny searched for the book for at least ten minutes, patiently going over every inch of the shelf where she had deposited the book before heading to lunch. It didn't take her very long to come to the conclusion that it simply wasn't there. 

Not knowing what else to do, she headed to Madame Pince's desk, hoping that maybe the librarian could help her. But she had only been waiting in line for a moment before she realized that it might not be such a good idea to get any of the Hogwarts staff involved in this. Who knew what kind of questions they would ask?

Changing her mind, she decided to trust her memory and try to find the book she needed that way. It couldn't be _that _hard, could it?

********************************

And that, she later learned, was exactly where her reasoning disappointed her. She searched for the book for several hours that afternoon, and was finally forced to admit that she wasn't even sure of the name anymore. The title kept getting mixed up in her head, and although she searched the section where she thought it would be, she found no book that even came close to the one she wanted. 

As she sat on the floor of the library, covered in dust and cobwebs from searching through books that she felt sure hadn't been touched in years, she tried once more to think of the precise title. 

__

Now what was it? Dark Necklaces and Their Purposes? No. Necklaces and their Dark Purposes? No, that's not it either.

Resolutely, she began shuffling through books again. She _would_ find it.

4 o'clock came and went, and still, she found nothing. Once, she thought she might have found what she was looking for when she picked up and old volume from one of the back shelves that read _Charmed Necklaces for the Dark_, but to her bitter disappointment, when she opened it up and flipped through it, all it talked about were the different charms you could put on necklaces for night use. Glow in the dark spells, charms that made the necklace a bright light that you could see by, and it even listed one necklace that gave it's wearer the ability to see in the dark without being seen. 

Any other time, Ginny would probably have checked the book out just for curiosity, but now she just put it back, disgusted.

After this, she had no choice but to except defeat. Until she knew the right name of the book, she had no hope of finding it. She couldn't even use a locator spell like she had tried earlier without the correct title. 

Her only hope was the original book she had found that morning with the picture of The Soul Keeper, but it too was hopelessly lost. 

__

Or maybe someone checked it out.

The thought came to her out of nowhere, bringing hope with it. Maybe she could simply ask Madame Pince if it had been taken out. This in mind, she headed back to the front of the library. 

Unfortunately for her, the librarian was nowhere to be found. Tired of searching, and unwilling to conduct a more thorough search, Ginny decided to call it a day.

She headed back to her common room, relishing the idea of a hot bath. She was covered in grime, and her once clean hair was thick with dust. The thought of cleaning herself up brightened her mood a bit, and by the time she reached the portrait hole, a small smile had actually formed on her face.

Draco and his Soul Keeper problem would just have to wait until tomorrow. 

******************************* 

Up in his dorm, curtain drawn securely around his bed, Draco poured over the book he had taken from the library. There had to be _something_ specific that Ginny had found. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing what that something was. Nothing even looked close to suspicious.

Maybe she wasn't up to anything at all. Maybe the girl was just into jewelry. Who said that she was necessarily trying to get back at him anyway? Besides, he doubted she could, even if she wanted too.

Okay, so that was a load of crap. Draco had the feeling that once Ginny set her mind on something she could and _would_ do it. Of that he had no doubt. 

So why couldn't he find anything? He'd been over the whole book repeatedly, as in so many times he almost had it memorized. And still he had found nothing.

He was beginning to think he was chasing rainbows that didn't exist. 

Feeling defeated, he laid the book down and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He'd been going at this for the better part of two hours, flipping pages one by one, hoping for some clue to tell him what she had found. It was beginning to get tiresome.

His only consolation as he replaced the book on the shelf later was the thought that she had probably just been interested in jewelry all along. She was a girl, after all. Who knew how their mentally unstable minds worked?

***************************************

Rising early, Ginny ate a quick breakfast and made her way to the library. The familiar doors greeted her as she rounded the corner, and she quickly pushed her way inside.

An intense silence met her entrance. Being a library, it was always quiet, but now it was unusually so. Then again, that could be because it was barely seven in the morning. Ginny had wanted to get an early start. She had a lot of ground to cover in her search. Almost, she would have given up entirely and been content to spend her day wondering around the Grounds, doing absolutely nothing, and enjoying it immensely. 

Instead, she was back at the library, preparing for another grueling day of searching. The reason? Draco. Who would have thought? The image of The Soul Keeper that the book had provided, along with the memory of the actual necklace that Draco wore around his neck forced her onwards. She couldn't just give up. Not after she had discovered who that necklace was associated with.

Salazar Slytherin. One of the most renowned wizards in history, and possibly one of the most evil. As much as she tried to deny it, she cared for Draco, and she couldn't stand the thought of him being hurt, or mangled, or…or whatever else thousand year-old dead people do to others who wear their enchanted necklaces.

She herself knew the horror of being possessed by a dark wizard. It was not an experience she would wish on anyone, Malfoy or not. Just remembering her first year made her shiver, so she forced the memory firmly out of her mind. She didn't need distraction today.

Automatically, she started for the section she'd left off at yesterday, mentally preparing herself for more long, grueling, fruitless hours, but on a sudden impulse, she changed her course for the part of the library where she had originally found the book that mentioned The Soul Keeper. 

And there it was. Plain as the freckles that were sprinkled lightly across the bridge of her nose. Staring back at her, its worn binding looking none the worse after disappearing to who knows where for about twelve hours. 

Realizing she was gawking, Ginny reached for it quickly, as if scared it would change its mind. Breathing a little easier now that she held it tightly in her hands, she turned to the page she remembered the picture being on.

There wasn't anything there. Well, okay, there were pictures of necklaces, but not the specific one she was looking for. What did that mean? How could it just disappear? Then she remembered that she hadn't actually seen it in the book yesterday until she had dropped it. The only reason she had seen it then was by accident. Was there some kind of charm that only made it appear at certain times? Ginny was getting worried. That did _not_ sound good…

She needn't have bothered though, because when she looked back down, it was suddenly there. Not willing to believe her luck, Ginny blinked, thinking she must be imagining it. 

Nope, it was still there. Quickly, before it could disappear again, she read the part she was after. _Dark Magical Necklaces and Their Dark Purposes. _She wouldn't forget this time.

Satisfied, she replaced the book on its shelf and started back to the front of the library. Now that she knew the correct name of the book, hopefully she wouldn't have to spend all day searching. If she was lucky, she'd be able to get Madame Pince's permission to perform a locating spell on the book. That would make things much easier. 

As it turned out, luck was both with her, _and_ against her. She got permission to perform the spell, but it turned up being a dead end! She even performed it multiple times, just to be sure.

" I'm sorry dear, we must not have the book you're looking for," was the only reply she received when she asked the librarian why the spell didn't find her book. It was quite a disappointment. 

She had one small thought to cheer her up, and that was simply that Madame Pince had apparently deemed that questioning Ginny about the book she was looking for was unworthy of her time. Hence, Ginny had been saved from explaining things. 

As she let the truth sink in, she almost couldn't believe it. She'd worked so hard to try and help Draco. Now all that effort seemed wasted. If Hogwarts didn't have a book, she could be pretty certain that no one else did either. It was rather depressing to think that all her time and effort had been spent on what now appeared to be a hopeless cause.

Suddenly, she couldn't stand to be in the library another second. The sight of row after row of books was making her thoroughly sick. After all the dust and dim lighting, she wanted out. She wanted to find someway to make use of what was left of her weekend. She had a very strong feeling that she needed to relax; to sit back and do absolutely nothing. And enjoy it. 

Where better to accomplish this than out on the Grounds? She was sure that the fresh air and sunlight would raise her spirits several notches at least.

Fortunately, fate seemed to have decided to give her a break, because that's exactly the kind of day it was. White, fluffy clouds spread across the bluer-than-blue sky, the kind of day that everyone enjoyed, no matter what their disposition.

__

Well, except for maybe one person, Ginny corrected her stray thought. Draco Malfoy almost certainly hated days like this, days when the sun was so bright, and the sky so clear, that the sparkling rays reached all the way down into the farthest reaches of the dungeons. Or at least they seemed too. 

Yes, she decided, Draco was probably one of those people who rejoiced in what most normal people considered rainy, gloomy days. But since when was Draco normal? He'd most likely prefer to be in the middle of a hurricane than outside on a day like this.

Which was, perhaps, one of the reasons she stopped dead in her tracks when the familiar figure came in view, sitting quietly, almost peacefully on a small boulder next to the lake's edge. All she could see was his back, but she recognized him immediately.

__

What should I do?!! Was the first frantic thought that came to mind when she saw him there. Had he seen her? No, of course not. He was facing away from her, gazing out across the lake, there was no way he could have seen her yet.

While that thought was comforting, it left her in a bit of a dilemma. Now she had the choice to either turn and walk away, pretending she'd never seen him, or walk right over. Though the latter was what she would have liked to do, she couldn't make herself gather enough courage to do it. 

Instead, she stood where she was, gazing at him intently. He looked good in black. Actually, he looked good in anything, as she was coming to notice more and more often. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice at first when her legs began moving her forward of their own accord. She wanted to get close, but not too close. Fortunately her legs managed to accomplish this without her being consciously aware of it. If she had, Ginny was sure she would have turned around and ran. 

As it was, she stopped a little more than ten feet from him, still hidden from sight because of the angle she had approached at. Jerked out of her daydreams by her sudden close proximity to him, she could do nothing but stand gazing at his back. She was starting to regret the harsh ( if well deserved) words she had spoken to him the day before. Her spontaneous guilt trip was thankfully interrupted by the slight shift in his position, and the lazy sound of his voice as it reached her ears. 

" Are you just going to stand there staring all day?"

Ginny didn't know what to say. He hadn't turned to look at her; he hadn't even tossed a casual glance over his shoulder. She was half tempted to turn and walk away as quickly as she could, but her stronger half won out, insisting that she stay. She _was_ the one who had approached him.

" Is that an invitation?" Ginny asked quietly, answering question with question.

Draco seemed to think a moment. She could almost see the internal struggle going on, and then the final thought that pushed back all the rest. _What the hell._

" I guess so." He remained steadfastly facing forward, but moved over silently when she pulled herself up beside him.

After getting situated, she followed his gaze out to the calm waters, looking from the far end of the lakeshore and then back to his face. He seemed distant; somehow, as if he were not completely there, and when he turned his head slightly, she could see that there was a faraway look in his eyes.

" Is there something wrong?" she asked, a small note of concern creeping into her voice. 

He didn't reply for a moment, and Ginny was about to ask again, thinking he hadn't heard her, when he replied.

" Nothing that concerns you." The cool aloofness that was normally present in his voice was there, but intensified. He was more distant than ever.

So that was the way it was going to be. It was like talking to a manticore. If one could talk to manticores… 

He'd let her sit here next to him, and even pretend to tolerate her, as long as she didn't talk, as long as she didn't interrupt him. 

" Fine," she said, anger rising, " If that's how you're going to act than I don't want to be around you anyway. I've tried everything I can think of to be nice to you, but nothing matters, does it? I even cleaned the Potion's classroom _by myself _so that you could go sleep off-whatever it was that happened to you, for God's sake! Go ahead, keep your thoughts and your feelings bottled up inside, never let them out. You've done that your whole life anyway, haven't you? Be miserable. I don't care. Maybe if you stare out at the lake long enough, the Giant Squid will have pity and eat you. That would solve the problem, wouldn't it?"

Even as she said the words Ginny regretted them. But she couldn't stop. The anger that had welled up inside of her was clamoring to be released. So she let it out. And even she was shocked by the fury of it. 

" Oh God, Draco, I'm sor-" 

She wasn't the only one who had anger to be let out though. Draco's rage was even worse than hers. So much worse because it was not the fierce, lightning hot anger that hers was, the kind that blew up and flamed out in a matter of seconds. His was ice cold.

" I'm NOT miserable. At least I wasn't until you showed up. And who gave you the right to come out here and judge _me? _I might be a terrible person, Ginny, in fact, I'm sure I am, and I might not express my feelings as easily as most people, hell, I might not _have _feelings as easy as most people, but what I feel and what I say, is no one's business but my own, got that? No one's. Not Potters, not Dumbledore's, and certainly not yours."

He didn't even wait around to see the look on her face. Without another word, he jumped to the ground and walked away. If it had been anyone else, they would have walked with their head down and their shoulders hunched together after that outburst. But it wasn't. It was Draco, and he walked with his head raised, and his back straight, staring the world in the face and daring it to do something about it. He never once looked back.

Ginny watched him go until he was out of sight, holding back the flood of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. When he disappeared around the corner, the strength she had called upon deserted her, and she was left sitting on that rock in silence, her face buried in her hands.

From the nearby forest, a bird called softly from a tree, and an answering call came back to it. The wind whispered through the trees, telling all the tales of old, if one only cared to listen. Beneath the surface of the lake, the mermaids went on with their daily lives, swimming in the calm lake. Overhead, the sun shone, as fiercely as ever, it's golden rays gleaming on the water. 

And by the edge of the lake, on a small boulder, a young girl cried. 

A/N: Don't kill me, please! I _had _ to end it like that. I think I've discovered why I like ending with cliffies, and the thing is, they make me want to write the next chapter faster. So they do help me, if not you. Lol. You'd rather have another chapter than one that doesn't end with a cliffy wouldn't you? I hope so… If this chapter doesn't get a lot of reviews, I might as well not right anymore. To be honest, I'm not sure what happened myself. I think Ginny and Draco both just had lots of pent up anger that they needed to get rid of, and they came to me for help. Now you're going, "where did Draco's anger come from? And what was wrong with him? Last time I checked he seemed to be fine…" Well you're right. He was fine then. But to see what made him so mad, you'll have to wait for the next chapter. My fingers are already itching to write it. They're not even a couple yet and already they are having their first major blow-up. Hopefully, things will get better. Thanks to all my reviewers, you know who you are. I appreciate all your help and the encouragement that you have given me. I'm not sure I really deserve it. But that doesn't mean I don't want it, so all you people who have just read this chapter, please review and maybe I'll give you more story. *grins* Like I could stop now anyway. You know, this story keeps getting longer and longer than I had planned, because of all these detours I keep having to make in my plot because my magic fingers tell me to. That's a good thing, right? I can only hope…


	9. Thank You

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 9: Thank You

__

After he was out of Ginny's sight, Draco began a head long, _very_ undignified rush towards the castle entrance and his common room, headless of anything and anyone in his path. He didn't care who saw him then. It made no difference. He needed somewhere he could be alone and think. 

He had had that until Ginny had come along and-he flinched, remembering the sound of her crying as he had walked away, and feeling a pang of remorse. It wasn't a feeling he was used to, and he couldn't honestly say that he liked it. But it was there nonetheless. He had really hurt her, hadn't he?

Well, he tried to remind himself fiercely, it was her own fault. If she had minded her own business, it wouldn't have happened.

But he knew this wasn't exactly true. It hadn't actually been Ginny that had made him so mad; Draco had been ready to explode on someone anyway, and she just happened to have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unfortunately for her. 

But she'll get over it, he told himself. _Ginny's pretty strong like that. _

Deep inside, he wasn't so sure. 

For the first time in his life, it had actually seemed like someone had cared about him. And what did he do? He went and threw it in their face, that's what.

It wasn't a very good way to encourage someone to like him he had to admit. 

But that was the problem. Did he want her to like him?

Maybe. But why should he? She was a Weasley after all. Penniless, a muggle-lover; he shouldn't be worried about her at all.

But he was. He couldn't help it. Ever since- well, actually he didn't know exactly when it had started. But the feeling was there, he was sure. A strange, weird feeling that he never remembered having felt before.

And it scared him. It excited him too, and made him long to see her face. But more than anything it scared him. And he hated to be scared. Hated to be weak, and fright was a weakness, he knew. 

So why couldn't he seem to stamp it out? Why couldn't he get rid of it, this new feeling that haunted him and actually made him think of someone beside himself for a change? But he couldn't. No matter how badly he wanted to, he couldn't just wish it away. 

Besides, now, more than ever, he couldn't decide if he really wanted to. For some reason, he thought that if he had the chance, he'd do it all over again. 

Everything.

Okay, maybe not everything. We could leave out that little scene back there by the lake…

He was almost to his common room now. His mad run had slowed to a walk, but there was a preoccupied look that hung over him, a lack of attention, that caused several passing students to stop and stare.

Draco Malfoy _not _glaring at someone? Impossible.

He reached the secret entrance, and was about to go through the door, when he realized that he probably wouldn't be able to get the peace he sought in there. There were bound to be too many Slytherins around to allow it.

He turned around at once, knowing he would have to go elsewhere. But where? 

After a few minutes deliberation, he came up with the idea of the library. It would most likely be about empty. He could probably grab a corner all for himself. 

So he went. 

Sitting at an old, but comfortable, armchair in the farthest reaches of the library, he let his thoughts roam where they would. First on his mind was Ginny.

What she must think of him. Well, there was no changing it now. He very well couldn't go right up to her and apologize. Could he?

He debated the issue mentally and came to a conclusion in a matter of moments. Except for the fact that he had never apologized to anyone in his life before, there seemed to be no reason why he couldn't apologize. Now the question was, should he?

This took longer to decide. His thoughts wouldn't come together; they kept racing off in different directions, so it took a lot of effort to try to gather them back. He kept seeing her, the way she had looked that night in the potions classroom: scared, confused, but more concerned than anything. _Concerned for him. _That was what made it so strange. In the Great Hall, when he had touched her shoulder, and she had stood so still, as if scared to turn around and look at him. Then another image interposed itself over these. It was a picture that had just been made a reality minutes ago. The hurt expression on her face, and the way she had looked at him… 

By the time ten minutes had passed, he really hadn't come any closer to a decision. The truth was, he wanted to apologize, to get back in her good graces so that she would talk to him again, but his wounded pride and Malfoy instincts wouldn't allow it. 

It was a battle that would have to be saved for another time, because Draco was beginning to feel it again. The faint prickling in the back of his mind, the feeling that told him The Voice was coming, a sense of pure evil.

Oh, how he hated it. That wretched _thing _that was suddenly trying to take over his life. But as much as he hated it, that's how much he feared it.

For someone who had been scared of nothing but his own father his entire life, the experience of being frightened by two other things at once was devastating. 

But fear quickly grows to anger, and within moments, this transition had occurred in Draco. 

What do you want now? He spat spitefully at the being who lurked in his mind. _Come back to try your little experiment again? It won't work you know. I beat you once, and I can do it again._

So young, and already so arrogant and sure of yourself, Draco? The Voice taunted with a wicked laugh. _That's one of the reasons I chose you, you know. That complete self-confidence of yours is sure to come in handy._

Already Draco was growing tired of this. Always, The Voice would refer to indistinct and vague remarks about his being chosen for something, but would never tell what. Now, Draco refused even to ask. _Well, are you going to try it?_

It would be difficult, trying to resist The Voice's influence, but Draco had done it earlier. Before the scene with Ginny out by the lake, he had succeeded in keeping control of his body. He thought he could do it again if he had to, but it might cost him dearly.

He repressed a shiver at the memory of what just a few seconds of fighting had done to him earlier that same day. It had been almost as bad as the Cruciatus Curse had felt by the time it was over, just not so painful. The Cruciatus Curse was meant to cause pain, to hurt, to destroy. This, whatever it had been, was meant to tire, to wear down, and then, when their resistance had reached its lowest point, to take control. But he had managed to keep fighting until his enemy broke down first. But it had completely worn him out. It had taken about an hour before he even felt strong enough to stand. And by the time he did, his hatred and determination to get rid of The Voice had increased twofold. 

He _would_ find some way to beat it permanently. Now if he only knew what "it" was.

He remembered how suddenly it had come upon him earlier. No warning at all. One minute, he was studying at a table in the Slytherin common room, the next he had suddenly been forced to put his pencil down and stand up. He hadn't even realized what was happening for a moment, but as soon as he did, he had fought with everything he had in him. 

From the time he was a child, he had been trained to resist mind control spells, but this wasn't like any he had ever seen before. It wasn't from an outside influence; it seemed to come from within his very mind, and when he felt The Voice's presence, he knew it was doing it.

He had won that fight, barely. He wondered if he had the strength left in him to fight again now. But if he had no choice...

He didn't. 

He fought until his sides heaved and he had difficulty drawing a breath. He resisted and fought the whole way, and each time he pushed it back a little ways, it took energy that he could not spare. The Voice rushed him again, getting even farther than it had been when Draco had stopped him to begin with. 

That was when the truth hit Draco. He couldn't win. He might have done so earlier, but that must have been pure luck. He couldn't deny that The Voice was stronger this time. He would not be so lucky now. 

Still he fought, trying desperately to hold on to control of his own body, but it was no use; It was closing in. In a few moments, there would be nothing for him but an all-consuming darkness. 

*************************************

Ginny wasn't sure how long she sat there, completely devoid of movement. It couldn't have been more than ten minutes, yet it felt like ages. Thousands of centuries could have passed in the blink of an eye, and she wouldn't have noticed.

She felt nothing but pain and remorse at the harsh words she had thrown out so sharply, and the well-deserved words he had given back in turn. She could still remember the cold, quiet fury that had enraged his features as he had spat out his vicious opinion of her.

The worst part was, she half felt she deserved it. She _had_ been judging him. And she didn't even know him that well. But that hurt too, because she _wanted _to know him. She wanted him to be able to tell her what was wrong, and she wanted to be able to help him with whatever it was. 

But now, more than ever, that just didn't seem possible. He would probably never even want to see her again. Even so, there was only one thing to do, and she knew exactly what it was. 

She had to apologize.

And before she could do that, she had to quit crying like a little helpless idiot. Heck, she was even disgusted with herself. Here she was, crying her eyes out, over _a boy? _It was ridiculous. And how could she possibly explain if someone saw her?

As soon as she had calmed herself and regained some composure, she jumped to the ground and headed for the castle. Now she just had to find him.

Easier said than done, she found out a few minutes later when she realized she had no idea where to start looking.

Let's see, if I were Draco Malfoy, where would I go? 

Probably a nice, stone-cold dungeon, she thought a bit sarcastically. But no, she knew that wasn't it. 

What about the Slytherin common room? Well, that might be an option, but how was she supposed to get there? She didn't even know where it was. She thought about asking someone, but then she realized that he probably wasn't even there at all. If it were her, she would want somewhere quiet to cool down at so she could think. Of course, this was Draco, not her…

Still, he would probably want somewhere quiet too, so that ruled out his common room. Where else?

She stood in the corridor, thinking. The library? Well, that was definitely where she would go, but Draco? She didn't know. It was something to start with at least.

She plodded up the stairs, almost falling in her haste. Upon reaching the library, her hopes were sorely disappointed. She didn't see him anywhere. Determined to make sure (she was running out of places to look for him at), she headed towards the back section, peering intently into the shadows. It would be just like him to hide in a dark corner somewhere…

Ah ha! There! It was little more than a darker shape within a dark shadow, but it was moving, and was obviously a person. She started to step forward, and only now did she think about her awkward position. It would feel weird just to waltz up and say, _" Hi Draco. Look I'm really sorry for judging your entire life back there, can we be friends now?"_ Yep, that would go over real well.

She almost wished she could just turn around and go back; pretend she'd never seen him, and avoid him for the rest of her life; or at least the rest of the year. He would have graduated after that, and she probably wouldn't see him at all then.

But the decision was quite unexpectedly made for her. Draco turned around suddenly, and his eyes fell on her. His face was strained, and he had his hands clenched in tight fists. The look in his eyes was pure terror. It was then that she realized something was wrong. Immediately her mind flew back to the incident in the Potion's classroom when he had fell to the floor in pain. She took a hesitant step forward.

"Draco?"

" Gin?" he asked questioningly, as if he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. Then he seemed to become surer. " Ginny, help." He didn't even seem to remember the fight they had just had. His eyes pleaded with her to help him, and Ginny, almost frantic, rushed to his side. 

" What is it, what's wrong?" 

He didn't answer; he seemed to be having some kind of internal struggle. 

" Draco?" she asked again, tears coming to her eyes. What was wrong with him? Was he dying?!! 

Suddenly, his muscles tensed and his body went rigid. He began sinking to the floor. Ginny, as she had the time the Cruciatus Curse had struck him, reached out and kept him from falling. 

Without realizing it, she found her hand holding his as she gently lowered him to the floor. He was too heavy to hold up very long. As she set him on the floor, she saw his hands grasp the necklace that still hung from his throat and tug at it, like he was trying to get it off. 

" Stupid necklace," she thought she saw him mutter under his breath.

Now her own internal battle was raging. Should she call for help? Go and get someone? What should she do? She became angry with herself for not knowing, and hot, anguished tears streamed from her eyes. 

One of them dropped onto Draco's face, and he suddenly sat bolt upright, almost shoving her back in the process. His eyes darted to and fro wildly, seemingly searching for something that only he could see. His breathing was harsh and loud; he could have just run a marathon.

" Draco?…" Ginny began, causing his eyes to dart towards her. 

" Ginny? What are you doing here?" 

She didn't answer. She was still too shocked and not a little scared. 

His gaze traveled down to where their hands were still clasped, and he started at them for a long moment, not moving. 

Slowly, his ragged breathing quieted and there was only the normal hush of the library again. He pulled his hand from hers and tried to stand up.

He almost fell back down on top of her. Seeing that he was to weak to go anywhere, he let himself settle back down on the floor, looking anywhere but towards Ginny. He was deliberately avoiding her gaze.

Ginny, for her part, wasn't sure how to react. What did you say to someone who had just had some kind of horrible attack that could have killed him, for all she knew, and was now sitting quietly beside you as if nothing had happened? 

So she waited instead. For ten long minutes, they sat there together, backs braced against the wall, neither one looking at the other, and both completely silent. 

At that moment, neither of them much cared if someone came by and saw them. All they both knew was that they didn't want to be the one to speak first.

Draco waited patiently after regaining his breath and composure, thinking that she would say something; start in about how mean he was to have talked to her like that or ask millions of questions about what had just happened, like he knew she was dying to. But she surprised him. She said absolutely nothing, and he realized that she was just as uncertain as he was. She didn't know what to do or say first anymore than he did, so she had opted to remain quiet and let him make the first move. _Smart girl._

Unfortunately, he didn't have the same option. It seemed he would have to be the first to talk. And for lack of anything better to say, the first thing that came out was an insult. " Enjoying this, Weasel?" he drawled smoothly. 

At first Ginny was incredulous. Then she became annoyed, and finally, just down right mad. " No I am _not_ enjoying this! Do you think sitting around in a library with my supposed-to-be worst enemy and waiting for him to say something intelligent to assure me he's not brain dead from some kind of attack is fun? Because if you think it is, let me know and I'll leave so you can enjoy mental recuperation by yourself." _If recuperation is possible, _she added under her breath. _He might have been permanently damaged to begin with._

Draco had nothing to say to this, and a few more minutes passed in silence. 

By now, Ginny had recovered her temper, and was beginning to get impatient. Why didn't he say something?!! Then she realized that he had started the other "conversation". Now it was her turn. 

" Aren't you going to tell me what just happened?" It was the only thing she could think of to say. _" Are you okay now?" or " You aren't going to die, are you?" _sounded way to stupid to ever be uttered aloud.

" Yeah, I'm fine now." He glanced over at her from his spot a mere few inches away, and his mouth curved up very slightly at the uncertain look on her face. So slightly, in fact, that she couldn't be sure if she hadn't just imagined it. " Thanks."

" What?!" she burst out before she could stop herself. " I mean, what did you say?" she corrected in a somewhat lower voice.

" I said thank you." He was looking at her innocently now, and Ginny would almost swear she saw amusement in his eyes.

" For what?" He couldn't be thanking _her. _Draco Malfoy did not thank _anyone._ Or so she thought.

" For saving me a minute ago." 

What was he talking about? " All I did was catch you when you started to fall…" Her voice trailed off as she realized what he meant. She hadn't saved him from external death or outward menace. She had saved him from something inside, and when she realized this, her eyes narrowed in confusion. 

" Draco, what is going on?"

Draco sighed, but without any real annoyance he'd been expecting the question. What he hadn't expected was that he had no idea how to answer it. He didn't even know how to start. 

He knew he could trust her, that wasn't the problem, but would she believe him? The story about a necklace that was trying to take over his mind and control his body was pretty far fetched, he knew. She might just think he was crazy. Maybe he was. 

Unconsciously, he fingered the ruby-eyes pendant that hung from his neck, and glanced down at it without really seeing it. 

At least he didn't realize he was staring at it until Ginny reached over and felt of the necklace, touching his hand in the process. That woke him up. Her hand was soft and warm, and Draco didn't think he would have minded if she had left it there forever.

But she pulled back hastily, obviously more uncomfortable with the situation than he was, and there was silence again.

" It's because of that, isn't it?" she asked after a pause, indicating the necklace. " It's doing something to you, I can tell." She looked at him, searching for answers, pleading for the truth. 

He couldn't lie to her anymore, he was in way too deep already, and unfortunately for her, she was in it with him. " Yes, it is," he told her frankly. " But Ginny, it's not just enchanted, or spelled to hurt anyone who wears it. There's something inside it." He looked up as he said this and their eyes locked. " Something evil."

A/N: Okay, okay, I know, kind of a cliffy, but it wasn't nearly as bad as my others, and I didn't want to make the chapter too long. It seemed like it could have kept going on forever if I didn't stop it there. Thanks once again to all my wonderful reviewers for the 7th and 8th chapters: Carebear19 (you'll just have to wait and see. *grins evilly*), MysticalStormz (thank you for the wonderful reviews and your help on the 8th chapter. *hugs*), August (glad you like it), Pseudonym Sylphmuse (next few chapters at least will be a little longer, yea! And thank you for two reviews!), Angel-Hiragizawa32 (love your enthusiasm, thanks!), RainBowFishez (What can I say, your review was _very_ flattering. Thank you, and yes, I can email anyone who wants with chapter updates), Redmeadow (I know, I've got a thing for cliffies, sorry. Glad you liked the story though.), Indy ( Yes, I've actually converted someone into a D/G fan! At least of my story. D/G is by far the best pairing I've ever read, glad I could introduce you to the concept. There are many great D/G fics out there though, so if you want to know some more, email me and I'll tell you.), and calikocat (thanks, you've been a great beta for me, and I appreciate you taking the time to review as well!) 

I couldn't do it without all of you. I'm serious, after reading reviews, I absolutely _have_ to go write another chapter. So if you guys want more, keep reviewing PLEASE! 

Do you like the way this is going so far? I know we really haven't gotten into the challenge part yet, but that's coming up. Right now, I just felt I had to do something that would kind of bring Draco and Ginny closer together and reveal more about the nature of The Soul Keeper, because I know you are all dying to know what is with the friggin necklace! Hopefully, this gave you some clue as to what might be coming. I know there isn't much D/G action yet (besides just talking or yelling at each other), but hey, I got them to hold hands a little in this chapter… Anyway, the good stuff will come, but I don't want to make it happen too fast. Things like this take time, especially when there is an evil necklace in the way messing things up. Hope this met everyone's approval. Don't forget to review.

Thanks,

Excillian

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	10. Deal

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Chapter 10: Deal

Ginny heard his words, but she didn't want to believe them. She didn't want to think about what this could mean; for her, and for him. She knew he would tell her what it was all about now. How could he not? She was in too deep. The thought scared her a bit. But there was no turning back. She had asked the question, now she must deal with the answer.

Gathering her scattered courage, she forced herself on. " What-what does that mean?" 

Once again, as she said the words, her thoughts wondered back to the book in the library, and the small image of the necklace she had found there. The Soul Keeper…Salazar Slytherin. She shivered, even though she had sweat beading on her face. It was a cold sweat. It was a frightened sweat.

Draco didn't miss the look that passed through Ginny's eyes and the way she trembled at some private thought. He also saw the sweat that covered her face like tiny, sparkling diamonds, and he realized how scared she was. 

That wasn't a surprise in itself, but the utter terror her eyes conveyed without meaning to was. Why would she possibly be that scared? She didn't even really know much about what was happening. She had know way of knowing that if she hadn't shown up when she did, bursting through the cloudy haze his sight had become like some kind of dazzling angel sent down to earth to grant light to miserable mortals…well he probably wouldn't even be in control of his own body right now. 

She had pulled him back from the rising darkness, allowing him to turn the tide on his attacker. Another victory, but barely. It had been close. He had been moments away from losing, and he didn't even want to think about where that could have led to. Who knew what The Voice wanted him for? Draco knew nothing beyond the fact that he was, as it had been so eloquently put, "chosen". 

Him, chosen? Ha! That was more Potter's thing. Let The Boy Who Lived battle demons and maniacs. He had to put up with it at home, why should he have to suffer through it now too? 

In that moment, he thanked all and any gods that existed for his angel. Even if she was a bit shabby in those old hand me down robes…

Suddenly Draco realized what he was doing. No way he had just called that little pest sitting next to him an angel. Not happening. And hadn't she been the one yelling at him about his own life not long ago? 

A hardness came back into his eyes. He had allowed himself the luxury of daydreaming long enough. It was time to snap back to reality. She was still Ginny Weasley, and he was still Draco Malfoy. And that was just the way it would have to be. 

Ginny saw the change in his eyes, and she read the look that accompanied it like it was a favorite book she'd finished a thousand times. She watched as his cool, controlled manner came back to him, and she saw the soft edges that had been hovering in his eyes shoved back by the force of his will, and replaced with a silent coldness. 

She quickly broke away from his gaze, a small lump forming in her throat. _Would he be looking at me like that if I hadn't…if I hadn't said all those things? _

All the courage that she had gathered disappeared in the sudden change of mood, and she was left feeling slightly scared again, but more in control of her senses.

But even if he was going to treat her like he normally did-and she felt sure now that he would-she couldn't make herself stand up and walk away. 

Not with him still so weak and pale. It wouldn't be right. So she forced herself to meet his cold gray eyes as she waited for his answer.

Draco felt her determination not to go until he had answered her, and he sighed in defeat. There was no denying the girl's stubbornness. But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of a good answer. " It means, that I've got problems, and that you'd better get back to your little friends before they miss you." He paused, and his eyes took on a malicious glint. " Besides, it would look pretty strange if someone found us back here together, wouldn't it?"

Ginny blushed furiously, which seemed to be exactly what he had wanted. _Bastard, _she thought grimly, _what kind of game does he think he's playing? One minute he's thanking me for saving him-whatever that means- and the next he's as good as telling me I better get the bloody hell away from him or else._

Ginny didn't think she'd ever understand him. And to think, just when they might have been becoming friends, it had been ruined. Partly her fault, she knew, but he was to blame too, wasn't he? After all, she wouldn't have gotten so angry if he had just said something, instead of being an absolute jerk. At least that was how she tried to console herself as she reigned in her emotions. 

It was obvious that Draco didn't have a thought about being friends with her anymore, if indeed he ever had. She wasn't so certain now that it hadn't all been wishful thinking on her part. 

But if he wanted it back like it used to be, back to the insults and the smirks, and the angry glares, she might as well go along with it; at least for now. 

Maybe when she stood up and walked out of this room, she wouldn't ever even have to talk to him again. The thought pained her, even though she tried to look at the situation reasonably. Why should she come where she wasn't wanted? But she knew it wasn't that easy. Somehow, hopelessly, impossibly, she had formed a strange attachment to Draco, and she couldn't-wouldn't- imagine herself walking out of his life forever.

" You think you can fight it alone?" she asked quietly, her voice soft. 

Draco seemed to hesitate, like he almost wasn't sure what to say, but after a moment he raised his eyes to hers again. " I don't really have a choice." Some of the coldness vanished from his eyes for a second, and she saw an intense longing there. A look that baffled and surprised her; a look that gave her the strength to stand up to him and look him square in the eye. 

" Yes, you do," she began, " I could hel-"

She was interrupted by a soft chuckle. " How could you help, little Weasle?" Draco's look was mocking now, but there was an edge of desperateness in it. 

Ginny grabbed onto this, determined to use it to her advantage. If she didn't help him, no one would, and she didn't like to think about what could happen then. Who knew what kind of evil Slytherin had infested in that necklace? 

All Ginny knew was that they had to find out. Maybe there was a way to- to stop it from what it was doing to Draco. Already, a plan was forming in her mind.

" I can help," she continued, confidence growing as she realized that he really didn't have any other hope, " because I know what that necklace is; and who made it." 

Okay, so maybe that wasn't the whole truth. Technically, she did know that the necklace was made by Salazar Slytherin and that it was called The Soul Keeper, but she really didn't know what it was _for._

She had gotten his attention though, which was the whole purpose. 

" What are you going on about now, Weasel?" he asked, feigning disinterest. But Ginny could see right through that. He wanted to know what she was talking about as badly as a starving man wants food. Luckily for him, she meant to give him what he wanted: after they had a deal. 

" You heard me, Draco," she said, using a smirk that closely resembled his own at the best of times. " I know more about that necklace than you could ever hope to." Her grin widened, and she allowed a slightly arrogant tone to escape her. " You need me."

" Is that so?" Draco asked challengingly, struggling to stand up. It was a wasted effort; he was still too weak to raise himself to his feet. 

Ginny watched his heroic attempt with a look of outward amusement; inwardly, she cringed at bit at his lack of strength. What was that necklace doing to him? That was what she had to find out, and the only way to do that was to make him tell her.

" Yes, that's so," she replied, seemingly without sympathy. She had discovered that he wouldn't want pity, or soft words-indeed, they hadn't gotten her anywhere so far- so instead, she decided to go the opposite way. She would act like she didn't care for him one bit, and was just interested in his predicament from unabashed curiosity. She didn't think it would really work, but it might make him see reason. There was no way he could take on the evil that lurked in that necklace alone. He would need help. " You've already proved it. You can't even stand up on your own. I can help you."

" And what's in it for you?" Draco asked, naturally suspicious. He'd never seen anyone's attitude change so suddenly. She wasn't acting like she usually did, the kind, sensitive girl who always wanted to help anyone in trouble. Sure, she was still trying to help him, but now it seemed to be entirely for her own purposes. Was this really Ginny Weasley? " Don't tell me this is some sort of wild scheme to get Potter to notice you, because that is just really pathetic…"

" Of course it's not!" she snapped back indignantly. That was the stupidest, lowest thing she'd ever heard of. Before she could get very angry again, and lose any potential chance she had of succeeding in her self-appointed task, she forced herself to calm down. " Look, I'll help you…"

" If?" Draco prompted.

" If you tell me what you know. "

" What, no big favors, or money? (Merlin knows you could use some, but that's off the point…)," he paused for breath, shooting her worn out robes a distasteful glance, then continued." You sincerely expect me to believe that you'd tell me what you know for nothing more than curiosity? " He sounded incredulous, as he had a right to be. What Ginny was suggesting, after all, did sound pretty unbelievable.

" But that's just it. I am curious. All I want is to find out what is going on with that necklace." She paused, searching his face for some sign that he was about to tell her to get lost and insist that she didn't need her help. To her surprise, she found that his eyes held an amused look, as if the whole thing were rather funny. " So do we have a deal?" she asked, encouraged.

" On one condition."

" What?"

" You tell me what you know, and I'll tell you what I know, but you can't get in my way when I decide to act on what I learn."

Ginny considered this. If she promised not to get in his way, he could just get rid of her as soon as she led him to what he wanted. " I'll tell you what I know, and I promise that I won't get in you're way for trivial reasons."

It was the best she could do. That way, she would be able to help him if he needed it without breaking her word.

Draco considered her offer for a moment, sizing her up with an experienced eye. He knew that he wouldn't get anymore from her, and he desperately needed what she could tell him. If she was even telling the truth. But he sensed that she was, he had seen something of the sort in her eyes. Besides, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have someone he could talk to about what was happening to him. Even if she was a Weasley. 

" Deal," he accepted. Stretching out his hand to shake hers.

******************************************** 

The next few moments were spent in low talk, as Ginny related what she had learned from the book she had found. 

" So you weren't just interested in necklaces," Draco joked lightly, surprising himself. He had meant to stay strictly on business terms with the girl, and joking was not included under that description. Not normally anyway.

Ginny looked at him strangely. " What's that supposed to mean?" 

__

Oops. Ginny wasn't supposed to know that he had been spying on her. He had hoped that that part of the story would never come into play, but he'd just ruined that. Maybe he could still cover.

" Umm…I meant that I was in here yesterday, and I just noticed that you were getting a book from the section on necklaces. I thought that you must like that sort of thing." Well, it was partly true.

Ginny still looked suspicious, but she seemed to accept the answer. Obviously she didn't want to press her luck with him. Which was pretty smart, as far as Draco was concerned. He'd already taken her into his confidence way too much. But there had been no way to avoid that. 

He was glad he wouldn't have to go into the embarrassing details about exactly how he had known about the book. His simple explanation sufficed. Now they could get on with the real work. Finding out more about The Soul Keeper. 

So he thought.

But Ginny wasn't through with the questions yet. " I told you what I know," she started, " now it's your turn." 

He looked at her a tad regretfully, wishing he could break his word, but knowing that wouldn't be very wise. It might actually be better to talk it out, instead of keeping it a secret. He couldn't deny the fact that she had already saved him twice from the serious bruises he would have gotten if he'd been allowed to fall to the floor. 

" Alright," he agreed, and he preceded to fill her in on all the details, starting back to when he'd first noticed-or been _forced_ to notice- that there was something strange about his pendant. 

Ginny listened in awe, occasionally interrupting to ask questions, but mostly just listening. By the time he had finally concluded with what had just happened today, her mind was already a tumult of thoughts, each one stranger than the first. There were so many questions, yet so few answers. It was enough to drive anyone crazy.

She finally come across one that was more powerful than the others and demanded attention.

" We need that book," she said quietly, almost to herself. 

She saw Draco nodding in agreement out of the corner of her eye. " Yes, we do."

Silence descended on them for a few minutes, as each tried to work out a way that they could get there hands on it. From what Ginny had said, it was obviously not in the library, so they would have to get it from an outside source. To have any chance of beating The Voice, or Salazar Slytherin, (Draco was a little relieved to be able to put a name with the presence) they needed to know exactly what they were up against. 

" So…" he began uncertainly, " any ideas on exactly _how _we're going to do this?"

Ginny shook her head mutely, she'd just been wondering the same thing. " No clue."

Again, silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Indeed, they were both to busy trying to come up with a plan even to think about speaking. 

Just when he was about to suggest trying to destroy the necklace in anyway possible, an idea derived from pure, un-tainted desperateness, he thought of something else.

" Did you check the restricted section?"

" What?" Ginny asked quickly, shaken from her thoughts.

Draco rolled his eyes, but restated the question. " Did you check the restricted section?"

" I-no actually, I didn't." She'd never thought of that. But it made sense. It was a book on necklaces enchanted with dark magic, it probably was kept in there. Why hadn't she thought of it before?

" That's what I get for trying to come up with a plan to defeat evil with a Weasley. They don't even think of the most obvious things, let alone the complicated," he sneered. Now why didn't that feel as good as it used too? It was missing something. Something an awful lot like the gratification that used to come with it. The feeling of having accomplished something important. It wouldn't stop him from doing it, but all the fun seemed to have gone out of insulting her.

" Hey!" Ginny shot back, " I searched everywhere else, how was I to know that it could be in the restricted section? It was a book about necklaces, for Merlin's sake!" 

" Yes, _dark _necklaces," Draco emphasized irritatingly. She was _so _easy to get worked up it was almost funny. 

" No need to state the obvious, Malfoy, I've already figured _that _out."

So it was back to last names. That suited him fine. Maybe. There was still a small part of him that felt just a little hurt at her statement. " But_ why should I?" _he reminded himself, "_ I started it by calling her Weasley."_ He crunched forcefully down on the little voice that was whispering in the back of his mind. It shut up. Good.

" You missed it the first time," he stated coolly, gratified when he saw her cheeks flush red with anger. 

" Look, let's just go back to discussing the plan, could we?" Ginny suggested, the redness fading from her cheeks as she gained control of her temper. It was doing them no good to argue like this. They wouldn't get anything done that way.

" Fine," Draco consented. But he didn't say anything more, making Ginny glance at him questioningly. 

" So…what is the plan?"

" We sneak into the restricted section and grab the book." 

Ginny looked at him disbelievingly. " That's it, that's the best you've got? I thought Slytherins were supposed to be sly and cunning. I thought you were supposed to come up with good plans." She crossed her arms in a defiant manner.

" We are, and we do." Draco told her. " That's why, in my plan, we don't get caught, as you Gryffindors do so often its almost sad."

" Okay," Ginny said, ignoring the comment about her house, " how do we sneak in without being caught, Mr. High and Mighty?"

Draco shrugged. " We use an invisibility cloak."

" And you just happen to have one of those lying around somewhere?" Ginny asked unconvinced.

" No…" Draco trailed off meaningfully. " But Potter does."

Ginny stared at him in shock for a minute, and Draco almost smiled at her amazed expression. 

It didn't take long for the implications of what he had said to sink in. " You want me to _steal _Harry's invisibility cloak?" _What a stupid question_, she mocked herself. _Of course that's what he meant_.

" Not steal it, " Draco corrected, as if the thought had never crossed his mind, " I wouldn't ever have you steal anything. Just…borrow it for a little while. Without his permission."

" Oh good, because that's _so_ much better," Ginny intoned sarcastically. 

" Glad you agree," Draco returned, pretending to miss the sarcasm. " You'll do it then." It wasn't a question.

" Isn't there any other way that _doesn't _require breaking a law?"

" Ginny, dear, " Draco mocked, " Do you really think sneaking into the restricted section is allowed?"

For the second time that day, Ginny's face lit up in a bright blush. " I suppose not," she muttered so low that he almost missed it. Then she sighed. " Alright, I'll get the cloak."

" Good." Draco looked her up and down, as if he were sizing her up for a secret mission. Which it was, in a way. The feeling made Ginny's skin crawl, though not in a completely bad way. 

" But if I'm going to get the cloak, how are you going to get here without being seen?" Ginny gave voice to a question that had just occurred to her.

" You'll have to come to the exit to the Slytherin Common Room and meet me." He stated this like it was a matter of fact, giving her no room to argue.

" Fine," she reluctantly agreed. Everyone knew the Slytherins were down in the dungeons. She hated going there any more than she had to for Potions already, she didn't relish the thought of going voluntarily. The dungeons were too dark, and spooky. They reminded her too much of the chamber…

Draco must have seen something in her eyes, because he suddenly offered to meet her at the stairs leading down to it instead. 

" I can get there without getting caught, I'm sure of it," he assured her, while at the same time raging at himself for his small show of compassion. He wasn't _supposed _to be nice to her, he'd already decided against that, but when he'd seen the look in her eyes…He couldn't help it. He knew without understanding how he knew that she was thinking of her first year, and The Chamber of Secrets. He didn't want to be responsible for giving her nightmares or something because he wouldn't walk fifty feet to meet her at the top of the stairs. 

" Okay." Ginny accepted his offer with not an insignificant amount of relief. That made things a little better. " So, I guess I'd better go. I've got to figure out how I'm going to get Harry's cloak…"

" Yeah, and I've got to get back and meet Pansy."

Ginny started momentarily at his words, but quickly covered the movement up. She had forgotten that he and Pansy were still an item. _Stupid chit, _she berated herself. _How could you ever have even thought that he'd feel anything for you? You're mortal enemies, remember?_

Even with this reasoning behind her, Ginny still felt a little disappointed. She had hoped, quite vainly, that maybe Draco had decided to meet her at the top of the stairs because he liked her, even if only a little. But the way he had talked about meeting Pansy proved her wrong. He sounded almost excited, if that was possible for him.

"Right," she forced herself to say. " See you tonight then." 

Draco didn't reply, he just turned and walked out the door. She followed a few minutes later, determined not to let herself get caught up in the stupid feeling she had somehow developed for him ever again. It would only hurt more. Still trying to put the picture of his strangely shadowed eyes out of her head, she mounted the steps to Gryffindor Tower and began the long climb up.

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, I love you guys: Angel-Hiragizawa32 (I appreciate your determination, but you have to move from the computer sometime. Lol.), MysticalStormz (Another wonderful review! You've been with me from the beginning, thank you so much. ), and RainBowFishez( Thank you, I'm glad you like the story. And believe me, I'll email you with a chapter update as soon as I upload it. *grins*) Keep reviewing everyone. Guess you can figure out what comes next, huh? Yes, a little adventure into the library…

One other thing: I've had several people ask if the Draco would or could actually possess Draco if it wants to. The answer to this question is yes, it can, but only if it is stronger than Draco (which it will be later, because let's face it, not even Draco can survive all these mind battles at full strength. The more he fights, the weaker he gets. The Voice doesn't have this problem, because it is no longer human. Right now, he is just testing Draco's strength, the real fight hasn't even begun…) You will hear more about this in upcoming chapters. Hope that cleared some things up.


	11. Now who's being stupid?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 11: "Now who's being stupid?" 

All was quiet as Ginny left her common room; the only sound that could be heard was the soft yawn of the Fat Lady when her sleep was interrupted. Of course that was to be expected, it was the middle of the night. Almost twelve o'clock. Ginny would have been out of there sooner, if she hadn't had to wait so long for everyone to go to bed. 

By the time eleven o'clock had come, she had convinced herself they were going to stay up forever. Eventually, they all _did _wonder up to their dorms in small groups. Two here, three there, until everyone was gone and Ginny could sneak out without being seen. 

She had taken Harry's cloak earlier, sneaking into the boy's dormitory to get it after she had made sure that none of the boys were around. Thankfully, it had been easy enough to find, lying on top of a pile of old clothes in the trunk under his bed. Hopefully he wouldn't miss it before she got a chance to put it back. If he did, Ginny was sure she would have a lot of explaining to do. And what she was doing was not something that one exactly looks forward to.

As the portrait hole closed softly behind her, she peeked out cautiously from under Harry's invisibility cloak, hoping against hope that no one had seen the door mysteriously open and close for no reason. Fortunately, there was no one about this time of night, not even Filch and Mrs. Norris, his suspiciously intelligent cat. 

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, but the feeling was short lived. She had barely begun to experience it when the remembrance of what she and Draco were about to do silenced her. They were sneaking into the restricted section; that was serious. She knew that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had done it often enough, but it was a new experience for her. For once it seemed as if she were going to be the one having the adventure this time. Too bad she didn't have a best friend to come along, instead, she was going with the next worst thing, her number one enemy.

No, that wasn't quite true, she reminded herself. Just because Draco was her brother's worst enemy didn't make him hers. She just normally thought it did. Here lately, those thoughts had begun to change. Draco was cold, arrogant, and irritating, but he wasn't totally unfeeling. She knew that now.

Making sure the cloak was pulled tight about her so that no part of her could be seen (it would look very strange if someone happened to see part of a leg moving down the corridor, for instance), she traveled quickly and silently down the hall, heading all the time towards the staircase that lead into the dungeons and, consequently, the Slytherin common room. 

Upon arriving at the top of the stairs, she sat herself on the first step and prepared to wait. Draco was supposed to meet her at midnight, but Ginny didn't really know his punctuality record. Sitting was more comfortable too.

He arrived on time, climbing silently up the stairway as the clock struck twelve. Ginny watched in silence as he ascended, awed by the sight of him. He'd apparently cleaned himself up a bit, and his light hair shone in the darkness, almost like a halo crowning the head of an angel. 

Yeah, hell's angel.

She quivered slightly at the thought, realizing how true it was. He had the disposition of the devil, and the face of an angel; quite a startling contrast, but too true to be ignored. Ginny watched him approach, content to be still until he was almost upon her.

Then he stopped a few steps down from her and whispered uncertainly, " Weasley?"

" Yeah, I'm here," she replied as softly, pulling the cloak off her. " Come on, let's get going. This place is giving me the creeps."

She didn't know why she had admitted that to him. Stupidity, she guessed. But he didn't comment, his mind clearly more worried about the situation on hand. Only when he walked up the last few steps and came to stand beside her did she realize what one cloak and two people meant. They were going to have to share. That meant being huddled close together…

Draco didn't seem perturbed in the least by this thought. He calmly took the cloak from her, pulling it over him and then handing her the other end to wrap around herself. Ginny complied without thinking, and they set off back down the corridor, this time in the direction of the library.

The steps were the hardest part. Trying to keep the one cloak over two people, one of who was holding a candle, and ascend the stairs without being seen proved quite difficult. It also meant that as the lighter of the two, Ginny was often the one to lose her balance and almost tumble down the stairs.

The first time this happened, Draco's arm shot out quicker than Ginny would have thought possible, and seemingly of it's own accord. As he gently lifted her back to her feet, careful not to look her in the eye, he stared at his arm as if in shock. The look seemed to say, " how could you betray me like that?".

The candle had fallen forgotten from her hand when she fell, the wick blown out, but when she whispered that they needed to go back and pick it up, it was impossible to find. 

" Leave it," Draco finally told her. " I'll find it later." They were forced to continue in almost complete darkness. 

After that first incident, Ginny tried to be more careful on the stairs, and succeeded in catching herself quickly if she started to trip. Draco's assistance was not needed again, though Ginny half hoped it would be. Then again, he might just let her fall the next time, not really knowing why he had caught her in the first place…

Her thoughts revolved around this incident all the way to the library (when they weren't concentrated on not falling); she couldn't get the feel of his arm around her waist out of her head. She supposed she must be going crazy, but if she was, she didn't think she really wanted to be sane after all.

She didn't know it, but Draco's mind was going almost along the same track, except he wasn't as certain about how he felt. His thoughts kept rushing from excitement at the feeling he had experienced for the few seconds she was in his arms, and utter mortification at what he had done. The former took up most of his attention. 

After they had gotten past all the stairs, the rest of the trip was easy, and they reached the library in no time. It was darker than the corridors, which had the advantage of a few lit torches spread here and there. In the library, it was complete darkness. 

Ginny reached for her wand, preparing to light their way, but Draco's hand on her arm stopped her. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but he had anticipated that and he clamped his hand over it before she could make a sound. 

Wondering what was wrong with him, she struggled, before realizing that his eyes were fixed on something near the back of the library. She turned her gaze that way, her heart leaping into her throat at the thought of what would happen if they were caught. 

Filch was standing there, a small lantern illuminating the area immediately around him. " There's no one here precious, let's go have a look in the dungeons. It was only last week we caught some of those Slytherins sneaking around there, remember?"

Ginny came to the conclusion that he must be talking to his cat; there was no one else in sight. With bated breath, she watched as Filch and Mrs. Norris turned and headed their direction. 

Draco removed his hand from her mouth, taking her hand instead and gently pulling her back out of the way, while making sure the cloak stayed around them both to conceal them from Filch's eyes. 

Only when the old (and slightly insane, in Ginny's opinion) caretaker was out the door did Ginny dare to breathe again. She was just about to tell Draco thank you for not getting them caught, but as if he had read her mind, she felt his soft breath at her ear, stirring her hair slightly, and sending chills racing up her spine.

" Shh," he whispered quietly, his voice so faint she could barely hear it. She got the message though, and was glad she had when not a minute later Filch barged back into the library, took one last suspicious look around, (clearly he had been expecting to find someone) and headed disappointedly down the corridor again. 

This time, Draco released her and took a step back, pulling the cloak off them. 

" It's safe now," he told her, still using the same quiet voice.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her heart was pounding too quickly to be normal, and she knew it had nothing to do with the close call they had just had.

Draco seemed to be experiencing something similar, for he didn't seem quite able to catch his breath, and his features kept alternating between a grimace and what could almost have been a smile. She didn't know what was causing that. 

The grimace won out in the end, but it quickly disappeared as soon as he regained his emotionless façade. Honestly, did the boy ever smile?

He did once, a small voice reminded her. _In the Potions classroom. You remember. _Yes, she remembered all right. That had been the day something had changed between them, and she hadn't even realized it at the time.

Draco having recovered himself now, allowed her no time for daydreaming, and quickly ordered her to follow him. She obeyed, not liking his commanding attitude, but not angry enough to get in a fight over it. 

At first, they walked in silence, but then a question Ginny had momentarily forgotten resurfaced in her mind and she had to ask it. " How did you know he was going to come back?"

Draco shrugged, as if answering was beneath him, but he told her anyway. " It's a habit he's gotten into in the past couple of years. He always comes back into a room about a minute after he left it to see if he could catch anyone who might have been hiding."

" Oh," Ginny said wondering how Draco would know what Filch's habits were. " I take it you know from experience?"

A nod. Obviously Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't the only one's who did more than their fair share of sneaking around. 

Draco read the look on her face, and had to suppress a slight smile, which only succeeded in making him irritated at himself. What was wrong with him? He was doing it again. Allowing her to get to him like that. "_STOP IT," _he ordered himself sternly. He couldn't afford to get mixed up in something as petty as a relationship with a Weasley. He just couldn't.

He thought that Ginny might press her advantage and ask him exactly what he had been doing sneaking around at night, but she didn't. It seemed that she had decided she'd rather not know, and that suited him perfectly. It might be a tad uncomfortable to explain that half the time that he'd been out at night was because of one girl or another. 

They came to the area where the restricted section was located, and Draco looked at the ropes draped around the area doubtfully. He knew there was a charm, or spells put around them so that they couldn't just move them or walk over them, but he also knew the password changed daily. 

Ginny, however, had no knowledge of the spell, and would have proceeded to simply step over the ropes if Draco hadn't stopped her with a grip of iron.

" Did you really think it would be that simple, Weasley? They're _spelled_," he pointed out, indicating the ropes.

" Oops," Ginny murmured, not having much else to say. Why hadn't she thought 

of that? She was going to get them both caught if she wasn't careful.

" There's a password that releases the spell, but it's changed every day,"

Draco explained knowledgeably.

" And let me guess, you just happen to know what it is." Ginny remarked sarcastically. She was fast tiring of his superior attitude. 

" Actually, no, I don't."

" What?!!" This was even worse than his attitude. How had he hoped to get around the spells without knowing the password?

" Quiet down!" Draco hissed fiercely. " Do you want to bring Filch back in here?"

Ginny's shake of the head answered his question.

" Good. Now as to this password, I said I didn't know it. I didn't say I couldn't get it." 

Ginny's eyebrows rose. " And how are you going to go about accomplishing this?"

Draco's smirk couldn't have gotten any bigger if she had put it under a microscope. " You know that Madame Pince doesn't have the best memory in the world, right?"

" Yeah…" The librarian had proved this often enough.

" So to remember the password-it changes so often-she writes it down. And do you know where she puts it?"

Ginny didn't.

" She tapes it under her desk." 

" Which is right over there," Ginny concluded, pointing back the way they had come. She knew where his thoughts were heading now. 

" Exactly," Draco confirmed, a triumphant look increasing his usual smugness.

Without waiting for anything more to be said, he marched over to Madame Pince's desk and proceeded to inspect its underside. 

" Got it," he told her, walking quickly back. " Thank Merlin for bad memories."

Ginny didn't reply; only watched as he extracted his wand from the inside pocket of his robe and pointed at the rope. " Book."

Suddenly Ginny felt a pressure she hadn't even noticed was there disappear, and she felt much lighter. The spell had been removed.

" How did that work?" she asked curiously. She'd never heard an ordinary word used like a spell before.

" Yet another mysterious mystery of Hogwarts. A regular word used as a strong protective spell," he paused, sounding right on the verge of revealing amazing intelligence, making Ginny give him and impatient glance.

"Well?"

"Don't ask _me_ how they did it," Draco told her with a careless shrug.

Ginny rolled her eyes, but said no more. It was obvious that he really didn't know, or else she would have had to press him more. As it was, she let the subject drop. 

" So we can go through now?" she asked.

A single nod was the only confirmation she got, but it was enough. She stepped carefully over the rope, not completely trusting of Draco's haughty confidence. Just because it _seemed _like he had gotten the spell off the place didn't mean he had.

The rope was passed without incident, and Ginny let out a breath of relief that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Draco smirked at her as he stepped over beside her. " See?" his look seemed to say.

Ginny didn't say anything, turning her gaze away from that smug face and heading to the row of shelves that were lined up in front of her. Where to start? There were so many. 

She stood lost for a moment, before beginning the arduous task of searching through titles. The names of some of the books alone were enough to make a creeping sensation sneak up her back and her hair stand on end. It was hard to believe that Hogwarts could carry such evil looking books as _The Dark Wizards Guide to Deadly Curses, _or _Seven Ways to Get Revenge; Permanently._

She knew they were only used as references, but it was still frightening to think of the powerful knowledge they contained being used by the wrong person for the wrong reasons. 

So engrossed was she in her musings that she didn't notice when Draco came to stand beside her, looking slightly amused. When Ginny finally did notice his presence, she couldn't think of anything that might be remotely funny. Then again, she didn't happen to have what was probably a warped sense of humor either. 

" What did you say was the name of the book?" he asked her quietly.

" Dark Magical Necklaces and Their Dark Purposes," Ginny repeated the title, sounding like she was repeating a phrase that had been memorized since childhood. 

She watched curiously as Draco held his wand up. " Accio, _Dark Magical Necklaces and Their Dark Purposes_," he intoned clearly.

A book from the far end of the second shelf flew into his hand with a slight snapping sound, and Ginny had to work to keep herself from revealing her embarrassment. Why hadn't _she _thought of using the summoning spell?

Oh well. She snatched the book from Draco's hand before he could protest, determined to prove that she was worth _something _in this little escapade of theirs. She turned the pages hurriedly, searching for something, anything, about the necklace that Draco still, and was even now holding in his hand. 

He didn't even try to take the book back he just waited calmly. 

How could he be so…so immovable at a time like this, Ginny asked herself wonderingly. _His entire life could be at stake right now, and he acts like he's not even fazed._

But Draco was more affected than he let on. In fact, he had to work very hard not to let his emotionless expression turn into a fierce grimace. Thank God he'd learned self-control at such an early age that it was already engraved firmly in his very being. He waited as patiently as possible for Ginny to find what they were looking for, wishing the whole time that he could snatch it out of her hands. 

Well, he could, of course, but he wouldn't. He had seen the look in her eyes and knew that she wanted to do something that would prove she was worthy to be there, even if it was something so minor as looking up a necklace in a library book. He could understand that too. It was probably one of the few things he had in common with her: the need to prove himself.

Ginny found the page she was looking for quickly; the image of the Soul Keeper stood out like dark mud on freshly fallen snow. " Here it is," she whispered quietly, and was about to read it out loud when Draco grabbed her wrist. 

" Come on, we'll look at it somewhere else," his voice was commanding.

" But wouldn't it be easier to just read it here and put it right back?" Ginny didn't know what else he could be planning on doing.

" Just come on, Ginny," Draco almost asked rather than ordered, his voice slightly softer. " I have reasons for not wanting to read it here."

" Okay…" Ginny agreed, wondering what Draco could possibly have in mind. She followed him back across the rope, pausing briefly while he put the ward back in place, and then on out of the library without speaking, clutching the book close to her side, and occasionally sneaking sideways glances at the mysterious boy who walked beside her. Would he ever become less of an enigma to her? Or was she destined to fall hard for the one thing she could not, should not, have?

They were almost back to the corridor that led back to the Slytherin common room and to the dungeons when Draco stopped in mid-stride. " I almost forgot something," he whispered to her from under the cover of the cloak. " Wait here." He started to take the cloak off of himself, but Ginny protested insistently.

" No! Don't be stupid! If you take off the cloak, you'll more than likely get caught by Filch, and then we won't be able to put the book back. I don't know how to let down the ward. I'll come with you." 

She spoke sensibly, and Draco would have had to be a fool not to see it. " Fine," he agreed, his look silently adding confidently, _but I _wouldn't_ have gotten caught. _" Follow me."

They set off down an adjoining corridor leading the opposite way from their intended direction, right toward the Great Hall. As they went, both listened closely for the sound of footsteps or anything else that might betray the presence of another person. It seemed fate had finally decided to lend them a hand, because they made it all the way to the corridor outside the Hall without incident. 

Taking a cautious glance around, Draco stepped out from under the cloak and quickly placed himself in front of the wall, where, Ginny realized, the sign-up sheet for Dumbledore's challenge still hung. They had said that it would not be removed until Monday morning. But what was Draco going to do, surely he couldn't be…

He is, Ginny corrected herself as she watched Malfoy pick up the pen and sign his name hastily on the very bottom. He would be the last person on the list. 

Why on earth would Draco Malfoy have anything to do with one of Dumbledore's clever schemes to get students to study harder? It wasn't that he didn't realize what the whole thing was really for. If Ginny had been able to see through it, then she would bet her life that Draco had. Maybe he just wanted to earn his house 100 points. After all, wasn't that why most of them had signed up?

Draco's face didn't seem to invite any questions when he turned back around and settled the cloak around him, so Ginny didn't ask. It was probably one of the wisest things she had done in a long time. 

No one spoke as they went back through the halls, retracing their steps all the way back to the Slytherin staircase. There Draco reached for the book, obviously expecting her to give it to him, but Ginny refused, shaking her head vehemently. 

" No way. If I gave this to you now, I wouldn't have a chance of finding out what I want to know." She didn't add that what she wanted to know happened to be exactly what he did. She didn't need to.

" Fine," he snapped, a little taken aback at her sudden change in attitude. A second ago she had looked about as meek and obedient as a trained slave, but now the light was back in her eyes as she looked at him challengingly. And for some reason, he almost smiled. He liked her better that way. _No wait, I didn't mean that…_" We'll have to take it to the Slytherin common room if you want to read it tonight." 

Ginny started to open her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. " No buts, Weasley. If we read it out here, we'd almost certainly get caught. Now who's being stupid?" He said the last with a trademark smirk, eyes amused. 

Ginny nodded stiffly. Why, oh why did he have to be right most of the time? Why couldn't he just screw up really bad one time-just one time- so she could laugh in his face about it? _Of course_, she reasoned, _it _would _be better for that time not to happen until _I _wasn't around until afterwards…_

She waited until they had descended the steps and Draco was about to say the password before she spoke again. " Wait! What if there are people up?"

" There aren't," Draco answered, as sure of himself as if he could see through the wall and had already looked. " When Slytherins can't sleep, they don't go to the common room."

Oh really, her look seemed to say. _Then where do they go?_

" They go…somewhere else," Draco answered evasively, quickly saying the

password and pulling her inside so that she didn't have time to ask any more. With a small clang, the wall closed up behind them again, and Ginny Weasley found herself staring into darkness of the Slytherin Common Room.

A/N: This chapter was a bit longer than my normal ones, so hopefully you enjoyed it. Remember to review everyone, and thanks to all of you who already have: MysticalStormz (thanks for all your reviews, you've been with me every step of the way! And yes, the plot does keep getting thicker and thicker. This is a story that just has to be told!), RainBowFishez (thank you for not being lazy :::wink:: ), Indy (I will refrain from kicking you, for the moment, lol. Anyway, thanks for your reviews! If you want to know about some of my favorite fics, just click on my user name (Excillian) and look at the stories I have listed on my favorites list. They're some good ones.), Slytherin Psyche (you really thought that last one was the worst cliffhanger? You didn't get left with some of the earlier ones, lol. Oh, and I love what I've read of your story so far. It's great!), and Angel-Hiragizawa32 (you really need to get a life, did ya know that? You can't sit in front of the computer all the time, lol. Though I'm very honored that you think my story is worth that, *grins*)

Now I've got some questions for everyone: (1) do you think the plot is moving too slow, too fast, or just right? I'm not sure if I should try to speed things up or not, I don't want to make it seemed rushed, but I don't want it to move to slow either. There is still a lot of the story left to tell, as I'm sure is fairly obvious. 

I don't know why I have this thing for the on again-off again romance part, it's just that I'm trying to show the battle that Draco is having inside himself. Not only is he experiencing new feelings for Ginny, but he's got this whole Soul Keeper thing to deal with too, which hopefully makes things more interesting. That leads me to my second question. (2)Should I get them together soon, or string it out a little more? (3) How did I do with the restricted section part of the library? I wanted it to be different from anything else I'd ever read in fanfiction, but accurate too. Since the books don't really tell us specifics about it, I got to kind of play around a bit, lol. 

If anyone has any questions or comments about the story, or if it seems there is something I've left out or forgotten, please let me know in a review, or by emailing me. 

Chapter 12: Just what exactly _is _The Soul Keeper? How is Draco involved with it? The answers to these and more in the next chapter. (Unless I change my mind about something, lol)


	12. The Kiss?

****

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and a few original characters. The rest belong to JKR and everyone else associated with it.

Author notes: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out everyone. Drag racing season has started again (yes!) and my little brother, my dad and I have become insanely busy trying to get our cars ready to race. I have a race this coming weekend actually, wish me luck!

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Chapter 12: The Kiss?

The common room was large, probably a little bigger than Gryffindor Tower, and there was a completely different feeling in the air, a total change of atmosphere from what Ginny was used to. The sudden change was almost oppressive to her, and she had to take several deep breaths to adjust herself and calm her nerves.

Draco, watching her, nodded. " Yes, the air is different here. Heavier, if you´d like."

" Why?"

" Some people say that the mood of a place is affected by the attitudes and feelings of the people who live there. Undoubtedly, Slytherins aren´t as carefree and happy as the rest of the houses."

" Undoubtedly," Ginny murmured, too absorbed in trying to understand the underlying meaning of his words to give a proper answer. As she stood silently, lost in her own reflections and observances, Draco walked over to one of the few, slightly comfortable looking couches (the rest looked about as soft of one of Hagrid´s rock cakes) and sat down.

" Really, Weasley, I know you´re impressed, being that you probably haven´t ever seen anything this grand before, but can´t you pick some other time to admire the rich decorum?" he asked after a few minutes, his face expressionless. Only a slight glint in his silver-gray eyes revealed any hint of his growing impatience.

Ginny jumped at the sound of his voice, so out of place in the absolute quiet. Remembering what they were there for, she tore her gaze away from the high stone arches and the blank faces of the stone figures carved there, their haughty expressions etched eternally into the stone. Their sightless eyes made her spine tingle, and she wondered how anyone could possibly stand to sit down here and be watched by them constantly.

Evidently, the ever-present stares didn´t bother Draco at all. He was as relaxed and composed here as if it were the most natural thing in the world for old stone figures to glare at the living. He was probably more comfortable here than at Malfoy Manor, his own home.

" Slytherins finest." Draco had seen the direction she had been gazing in, and apparently decided to play tour guide. " The best witches and wizards the house has ever produced, all the way from Salazar Slytherin himself to Aldure Baning, who discovered that mixing the petals of a red rose with the scale of a dragon in a solution of hornet´s poison would give the drinker the ability to control another´s dream for five minutes. Quite a brilliant guy, actually. Of course, he also got himself put in Azkaban for killing his enemies through their dream selves... but all in all, brilliant."

Draco smirked slightly when Ginny failed to look impressed. " Not your kind of scientist, huh? Well he wasn`t nearly as bad as-"

Ginny sat down beside him suddenly and put the book in his lap, more out of the need to get him to shut up than impatience. She did _not _want to here about the evil escapades of the past Slytherin heroes. It was way too creepy.

Taking the hint, Draco feigned a sigh. " Ah well, not everyone´s fit to handle the amazing tales of the Slytherins, I suppose."

In spite of herself, Ginny found a small grin playing at the edges of her mouth. Draco was making jokes again; he must be feeling a little better about her. She hoped.

Indeed, Draco was feeling better, his earlier weariness had almost disappeared, and he was beginning to experience a strange, not-quite-happy-but-fairly-close feeling that one usually encounters after having miraculously survived something that should have killed you instantly. That was how he was beginning to feel about the fight with the necklace now that the shock had worn off. He should have been under it´s complete control now, but he wasn´t, thanks to the pretty, brown-eyed girl sitting beside him. It was one of those rare emotions that no one can feel and not share at least a little bit. His way of letting some of that out was to joke with her.

And the fact that it really didn´t feel that awful to do it kept him from shutting himself off completely from her again.

It gratified him to see the small smile tugging at her lips, and he had the insane desire to turn it into a full-fledged one. " So, what kinds of stories do you Gryffindors sit around telling? The heroic adventures of The Boy Who Lived, the Weasel, and the Walking Textbook?"

This time, Ginny not only smiled, she couldn´t help laughing as well. And when she looked over at Draco, expecting to see his normal blank face in spite of the playful words, she was surprised to see him smiling.

It wasn´t the bright, brilliant smile of Harry´s that caused every girl within a one-mile radius to stop and stare, but it made Ginny´s heart beat faster all the same. It was exactly the kind of smile that you´d expect to see on a handsome, mysterious, keeps-to-himself guy on the rare occasions that they did take pleasure from something. It was a grin that Ginny wouldn´t have traded for a thousand Galleons.

To her, it meant more than that Draco had actually found something funny. It meant that something was changing between them again. Something more than the smile itself could ever betray. It meant that the walls Draco had built around himself were coming down, stone by stone. It would only be a matter of time before Ginny could peer through the gap, and only a little longer after that that she could walk through completely.

Feeling her stare, Draco tilted his face to look at her, their eyes meeting in the flickering light of the fire that Draco had started upon their entrance. They stayed that way for a long moment, not moving, neither one of them hardly daring to breathe. Slowly, oh so slowly, Draco leaned his head down towards hers.

His lips had barely brushed hers when he jerked back abruptly, a look of utter surprise on his face, like he couldn´t believe what he had almost done. " Sorry," he muttered in a low voice, almost angrily.

Ginny didn´t answer; she was to shocked at the sudden removal of his warm form away from hers. She had wanted that kiss, had dreamt of it for days, and when she was finally about to get it, he changed his mind! The lousy jerk. Did he think it was fair to treat her that way, playing on her emotions and then abruptly ending the game before she was ready to call it quits?

__

Maybe it was a good thing, she tried to rationalize as she calmed her seething anger. Maybe he had just inadvertently kept her from making one of the biggest mistakes of her life. If that was the case, Ginny supposed she ought to feel grateful, but when she tried to do that, all she could feel instead was a kind of deep, unfulfilled longing. Damn Draco Malfoy and his untimely moral trips!

If he sensed her anger, Draco showed no sign of it, probably because he was too absorbed in his own feelings. " Let´s read this quickly so we can get it back to the library before anyone discovers it´s missing."

Ginny wanted to ask exactly who he thought was going to miss a library book at a quarter to one in the morning, but she refrained, knowing he was just trying to make an excuse that sounded halfway plausible. Besides, it really wouldn´t be good to wake up the whole of Slytherin house with a loud argument, as theirs tended to be.

So she didn´t answer, but she moved away from him on the couch, retreating back to the opposite side as far as she could, giving the impression that she couldn´t get far enough away from him. That was how Draco saw it anyway.

Actually, Ginny had moved away so that she wouldn´t be tempted to slap him, which was all too likely to happen if she got any angrier. The last time she had felt like this, Draco had ended up in the hospital wing with a broken arm. One of the teachers was sure to notice the undeniable print of a hand across Draco´s face and her guilty looks and avoidance of him the next day, if she allowed her anger free reign. And since they knew about the incident with the broom, it wouldn´t take much to put two and two together. Heck, even Snape could manage that.

__

And, she couldn´t help thinking, _it would probably give Draco enough of a bruise to ruin his normally healthy complexion for a few days._

Draco picked the book up off his lap, trying hard to look like he was actually concentrating on looking for the page with the Soul Keeper on it. He was really trying to decide why he had broken off the kiss. What had caused him to do such a thing? No wait, wrong question. What had caused him to even attempt to kiss Ginny Weasley in the first place? And what´s more, she had actually let him!

He had felt sure that she would pull back, horrified, but she hadn´t. Instead, she had surprised them both by leaning forward almost eagerly. She had wanted that as bad as he had. But why had he stopped? The Malfoy part of him was arguing that it was a good thing he had come to his senses and stopped, she was a WEASLEY. The other part of himself, the part he´d only recently come to know, insisted that he hadn´t wanted to rush things, or push her too fast.

But the other part of him knew the truth. The part he seldom even gave a thought to was the only one that knew the real reason. He was scared, more scared than he had ever been in his entire life. If she hadn´t been in the room with him, keeping him in check, he was sure his hands would have been shaking. It was a fear more profound than even the one he´d faced in the library today when he risked losing his free will.

The kind of fear he´d only heard other people talk about, when they didn´t think anyone could hear them. Or the fear often mentioned in books; the fear of something so completely strange and alien to the person that they could think of nothing else. That was the kind of fear that possessed him now. He was scared that if he...allowed himself to go any farther with what he was feeling, he would be completely overpowered by it. It was a strange sensation for one who had feared so little previously, and for someone who had never loved.

It was something that would require a lot of thought before he went on with it, and unfortunately, he didn´t have that right now, and he probably wouldn´t until he got the Soul Keeper out of the way. He didn´t like having to push Ginny aside as he did, but she would understand, maybe not now, but later.

Besides, just because he couldn´t kiss her right then didn´t mean that they had to be enemies. There could be an in between, and Draco was prepared to settle for that for now. Hopefully she would be too.

He looked up from his idle page turning and saw her watching him. " You know where it is," he told her, handing her the book with a look that asked her to find the right page.

Without a word, Ginny took the book from him and quickly found what they were looking for.

" The Soul Kee-" she began, but stopped suddenly, looking around anxiously. " No one will here us will they?" she asked in a quieter voice.

" Well, they wouldn´t if you didn´t have to shout from all the way across the couch."

She stared at him for a second, trying to judge what he meant by that, and not being quite able to decide whether she should move back over or not.

Rolling his eyes, Draco solved the problem for her by moving over himself. He was sure not to get too close, Ginny noticed, but he didn´t sit far enough away to make her think he didn´t want to touch her. It was a comfortable distance, the one usually placed between good friends. Well, it was something at least.

Looking back down at the book, she started again. " The Soul Keeper was allegedly created by Salazar Slytherin himself, back in the 12th century. It was supposedly serpent shaped, with ruby eyes, and made of the finest silver. From what our sources say, the necklace had one purpose. It was created to-"

Here Ginny paused, obviously reading ahead in her mind.

" What?!" Draco asked impatiently. " It was created to what?"

When Ginny still didn´t answer her, his stretched patience ran out and he snatched the book from her and began reading out loud himself while Ginny watched and listened, her face pale with the disastrous knowledge the book contained.

"It was created to capture the souls of mortal men and hold them imprisoned for as long as the owner of the pendant wished. While we don´t know exactly what Slytherin himself intended to do with his creation, we can be sure from past experience that it would not have been good. The ruby eyes of the snake ensnare its victims, creating a link between them and it, so that when they are killed (presumably by Slytherin at that precise moment) their souls were sucked into the necklace." Here Draco paused. " That doesn´t sound good, does it?"

Ginny shook her head wordlessly. A necklace that could capture souls? Why would anyone want to do that? What purpose could it possibly serve? Her questions were only partly answered when Draco continued.

" It is believed that Salazar was going to use the captured souls to benefit his own rise to power, but was unable to fulfill his plan because of his own mysterious death. With his disappearance, the necklace has faded from existence as well, until no one is certain whether it ever even existed at all."

" They are now," Ginny muttered darkly, causing Draco to glance up at her in surprise. Ginny saw nothing funny in the situation, but a small smile was on Draco´s lips. She did note, however, that there was no such amusement in his eyes. He was as well aware of the enormity of their discovery- or lack thereof- as she. Few questions had been answered, and many more raised.

First in Ginny´s mind; what did all of this have to do with Draco? What was Salazar trying to accomplish?

Draco, who was still watching her face closely, seemed to read her thoughts, but could offer no explanation or assurance. She knew as much as he did now, that was apparent. It also meant that there was a lot more to figure out. Such as why Salazar, if indeed, it was him, had picked now to start trying to take over someone´s body. The necklace had been around for years, even if few had ever seen it. Why had no one else noticed it´s mysterious qualities?

__

The qualities of holding an ancient evil force, long since thought dead and buried. Why is it that all the dark wizards somehow manage to come back when all the good one´s have to stay dead? I´d much rather have a revived Godric Gryffindor than Slytherin.

Draco was just as puzzled. There were so many questions, and too few answers. He was beginning to form an idea where this was all headed, but he knew Ginny couldn´t see it. She wasn´t used to thinking the way he did. She had no reason to, for she had been surrounded by her family her entire life. She had grown up thinking the world was a safe place after the fall of Voldemort. Draco, meanwhile, had learned to think differently, and he knew better. One Dark Lord might be gone, but there would always be another to take his place. It was a lesson Draco had learned well. The only thing was, he´d never thought about the possibility of a thousand year old evil rising from the grave. Now it was something he would _have_ to think about.

But for the moment, he knew there was nothing more they could do except get some sleep. They both had classes tomorrow, and Draco knew Ginny detested the thought of falling asleep in them as much as he did.

Decided, he closed the book- it had no more to tell them- and stood up slowly. Ginny started to rise too, and he automatically reached out his hand to help her up. This time, he didn´t even think about where the gesture had come from, and acted as though it were the most natural thing in the world. It seemed too stupid and petty to worry about being a good Slytherin when his house´s namesake was as good as rising from the dead to take control of him. When you looked at it in that light, worrying about your feelings for a girl was idiotic. He knew he would have to fight that war later, but for now, he had other things to worry about.

At first, Ginny was surprised at the offered hand, but it soon disappeared as she let Draco pull her to her feet. As he seemed preoccupied for the moment, Ginny took the time to examine him closely.

He seemed deep in thought, like something was troubling him. _Okay, that was pure genius. Of course something´s bothering him, he just found out that one of the Hogwarts founders wanted control of his body for some unknown reason, probably to help steal souls or something._

The thought made Ginny feel weak. She tried to imagine Draco standing at the side of Salazar Slytherin, helping him to kill innocents and extract their souls, but she just couldn´t do it. It was easy enough to see Slytherin, she knew his face from the portraits hung about the common room, and especially the large stone carving of him that was chiseled into the ceiling. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn´t picture Draco standing beside him. Something in her cried out that it was wrong, that Draco could never do that, could never be bad- evil- enough to do something like that.

But a small part of her wondered; _what if? _After all, what did she really know about the young Malfoy, besides the fact that he was an excellent flier, had the clearest, gray eyes she´d ever seen-a color that was bright as the sun, but dark as ebony all at once- and that his light blonde hair looked better when he left it hanging down in front of him than when he slicked it back as he used to, the way he always stood tall, his back straight and proud, but with enough of a relaxed position so that he looked like he owned the world, but was not quite arrogant enough to claim it.

Those were all things that anyone with half a brain could see, if they would just take the time to look. Though they might not see them in quite the same light...

__

Still, she reminded herself, _I know other things too. I know the way his whole face lights up when he smiles, really smiles. And I know the almost hesitant way he cracks jokes, like he´s not quite sure I´ll like them. I also know the way his face gets all serious right before he leans down to-_

There, Ginny was suddenly overcome with the vivid memory of the way his lips felt lightly pressed against hers, and her entire thought process was ruined. Only the sound of Draco´s voice could have woken her from her dream like trance and calledher back to reality, and after Draco had finished his own inner musings, he quickly obliged her.

" Ginny?" He shook her softly by the arm, being abnormally gentle. " Are you awake in there?"

" Huh?" She blinked stupidly. " Oh, yeah, I´m fine, just thinking." _Okay, get a grip. Weren´t you just thinking about how much you hated him a few minutes ago? Now there could be a puddle of your drool at his feet. _The terrifying idea snapped her back into reality completely, and she glanced quickly towards the floor.

Nope, no puddle, that was a relief. It meant that no one knew her private thoughts except for her, and that was a _very _good thing. It was also a huge load off her back when she discovered that Draco seemed to have no clue as to where her betraying thoughts had just led her. It was almost abnormal how well Draco could read her sometimes. How he seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.

Draco nodded at her statement, he had been thinking very hard himself. " Look, it´s getting late. I think it was time we both headed for bed. There´s nothing more we can do tonight anyway, it would do us both some good to sleep so we can make it through classes tomorrow."

He was telling her to leave? Already? They hadn`t even figured out what they were going to do yet! " What about-"

" We´ll worry about that later. And don´t come looking for me. I´ll find you, and we can figure out how to discuss this matter in private."

There were no other objections Ginny could voice that would allow her to prolong her stay, and she had to admit that they could do no more for now. " Alright," she agreed. " But if you don´t find me before ten tomorrow night(that was when everyone had to be in their common rooms), I´m going to march right down here and find _you_."

And she meant it, Draco could tell by the firm set of her jaw. " Okay, okay, don´t worry about it. I´ll come up with something. There has to be a secret way for us to meet without anyone finding out about it..." He just hoped he could find out what that was.

" Wait a minute," Ginny suddenly blurted out excitedly. " You signed up for that challenge program didn´t you?"

" Yeah..." Draco really didn´t see where she was headed with this.

" So you´ll have to work with a partner, and I´ll have to work with a partner, probably somewhere where no one can find out what our challenge is..." She trailed off, knowing he´d caught her train of thought.

" So we make sure that we´re partners." Draco finished.

" Exactly."

Draco chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, a bad habit he´d had for years, but never bothered getting rid of. It wasn´t like he normally did it in front of other people. This was an exception. " Great plan," he told her finally, " but it´ll never work."

" Why not?" The grin that had been forming on Ginny´s face suddenly fell, and she looked at him a bit indignantly, her pride hurt at having her idea so immediately and firmly rejected.

" For one thing," Draco began, gazing at her levelly, " the headmaster, and all the professors are involved in the process of choosing the partners. While we might able to influence one of them, with spells or such, we could never do all of them, at least not without them finding out."

Okay, Ginny admitted, that made sense. But Draco wasn´t done yet.

" For another," he continued, a hint of the old smugness that had been absent from his voice for the past five minutes coming back, " we don´t even know how they´re _doing _the choosing. It could be as simple as drawing names out of a hat, or as complicated as a matching spell that tells them who would work best with who. It would be like begging for trouble to mess with one of their spells. And I, personally, despise begging."

__

That makes two of us. But Ginny still refused to give up on the idea. " What if we find out how they´re doing it and go from there?" she asked hesitantly, knowing the answer but having to ask anyway.

" It´s already past one in the morning, they´ll be matching up partners in just a few hours. There is no way we can find out in time."

" Fine," Ginny muttered exasperatedly, " You come up with a brilliant idea then. You´re supposed to be so good at that."

" I will," Draco told her, the perfect picture of calm serenity, while Ginny, meanwhile, could hardly force herself to be still she was so apprehensive. " But not tonight. I want some sleep, and you need some whether you want it or not. I´ll figure something out later. Now come on, I´ll walk you to your common room."

Ginny had been all prepared to deliver another protest, but his last words stopped her, almost making her choke. " You´ll what?" she gasped unbelievingly.

" I said I´ll walk you to Gryffindor Tower." Draco didn´t even look uncomfortable. It was as if it was a perfectly reasonable thing for him to do, and he would never have even thought of doing otherwise.

" But...why?" Ginny couldn´t help thinking of all the times the other girls had talked about having a boy walk them home, or to their common room, and feeling slightly jealous at the thought that she´d never had anyone do that for her. Now that it seemed like it might happen, she was kind of unnerved. It didn´t help that the offer had come from Draco, and had been totally unexpected at that.

" Um..okay," she managed to finally get out in a small voice. What else could she say? She´d practically been dreaming of something like this to happen since...well, a while ago, several days at least.

As they exited the Slytherin common room and began the trip to Gryffindor Tower, both of them huddled under Harry´s invisibility cloak together, she wasn´t sure what to think. Draco was being so much more...polite... to her now than he had ever been before, and she wasn´t quite sure how to take it. Did it mean he liked her, or did he just want to be friends?

In the mental turmoil these thoughts caused, Ginny had just about forgotten the problem with the Soul Keeper. At least until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, and Draco reminded her once again that he would find her, and not to make a big scene by looking for him.

As if she would. The last thing she wanted was to draw everyone´s attention and have them asking questions she didn´t want asked. After assuring him of this fact, she had turned and started to head through the portrait hole when a strong hand caught her arm and gently turned her back around.

" Ginny?"

" Yes?" she replied timidly. Draco´s eyes were an unusual color, one she´d never seen before. No, that wasn´t true; she had seen it once, just about half an hour earlier, when he-

" Goodnight," Draco whispered, leaning down quickly and planting a gentle kiss on her lips before she could react. He pulled away as quickly as he had come, turning without a sound and disappearing back around the corner.

*******************************

It was only later, as Ginny lay in bed remembering that kiss, her first real kiss (in her opinion the almost-kiss earlier didn´t count) when she realized something that she had missed in the thrill of the moment. Draco had left the invisibility cloak with her, and had to walk back without one. He could have been caught!

It was to late to act on that thought now, and Ginny wished she´d had enough sense to realize it earlier before she´d let him do it. She could have put the cloak back later...Well, no, that really wouldn´t have worked very well. Harry might have missed it by then. As it was, she had returned it safe and sound, without anyone being any wiser. A simple silencing charm had allowed her to slip into the boys' room undetected, and the moon had been just bright enough to see by as it shone in through the windows. It had been almost too easy.

A large yawn issued from out of her little four-post bed, and a few minutes later, Ginny´s eyes closed in sleep, a smile on her face. Her thoughts had already reverted back to the memory of Draco´s intense face, the way his lips had felt so warm, so alive as they pressed gently on hers, and the way it had felt so right. Like it was meant to be.

A/N: The verdict? And that was _not _a cliffy, btw. I worked really hard to end it so that you wanted more, but weren´t going to die of suspense. Lol. Hope I succeeded. I must say, this was another favorite chapter of mine to write; it was really fun. And we´re finally getting to see some D/G action. It´s been a long time in coming, but we´re finally getting there. I think I can now safely say that we won´t see anymore-sudden break ups, or fights (well, _maybe _a small fight) at least not until the end. I´ve got something big planned for it. Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers (don´t have enough time to list you all right now. Next chapter, I promise, I´m just trying to get this one out now, lol).

I love you guys so much, and I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter, along with everyone else who read it of course. Now, there´s a little button down at the bottom of the screen that you click on to review. Click on it NOW, please. And have fun reviewing. I have fun getting them...


	13. The Challenge

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and any of the original characters, places, things, ect that you see. All other things that you have heard of belong to JKR. Oh, and the little poem thingy is mine too.

Chapter 13: The Challenge

Draco entered his dorm room quietly; he didn't want to wake anyone up. It would be easy enough to lie about his absence, but he really didn't feel like talking to anyone right then. His thoughts were spinning too fast through his head, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that was impossible to stop.

He quickly lay down in the bed so he didn't fall over from the dizziness of it all. Never before could he ever remember feeling this way. It was a strange sensation, a not-quite-real feeling that pervaded the entire atmosphere of his mind. It was pure giddiness.

He had kissed her, actually kissed her. Ginny Weasley, the one girl he was forbidden to love. Every old tradition and instinct that had been driven into him at birth rebelled against the very thought, but Draco was tired of denying a fact that was becoming more obvious with each passing second. He liked her. 

" I _really _like her." The whispered declaration seemed to bring everything more into focus, and it felt like a weight had been dropped from his shoulders. He could admit the fact; he didn't need to run from it anymore.

The protests that had been rising in the back of his mind flowed smoothly away once he had voiced his feelings out loud. Why fight what you could not beat? That was another thing he had learned as a Malfoy. After all, hadn't his family joined with the Dark Lord because they knew (or thought they knew) that he was the only one who could possibly win?

The image of Ginny in the hallway outside her common room, her surprised face staring up at him and the disbelief in her eyes when he had lowered his lips to hers, and claimed her as his own, rose in his mind as vividly as if it was still happening at that very moment. He felt once again the soft feel of her lips under his and the sweet taste that was impossible to describe, but was simply and uniquely _Ginny. _

As the visions flitted in and out of his minds sight, something else had occurred to Draco. It was something that Ginny had mentioned earlier, about how they could fix it so that they were partners together so that they would be able to talk frequently without suspicion. Although he had dismissed it at once, the idea had been playing around in his head ever since. 

What if there was a way to make it work? If he and Ginny were partners, they wouldn't have to sneak around behind anyone's back and worry about getting caught. It would be a much better solution. 

And Draco thought he knew just how to do it.

*********************************

__

Draco wasn't at breakfast the next morning when Ginny got there (accompanied by Hermione, Ron, and Harry). The Great Hall was filled with students, all of whom were eagerly anticipating the announcement, of who would be partnered with who, that was sure to come. Up until she noticed Draco's absence, Ginny had been one of them. Seeing him missing put a damper on her excitement. Where could he be?

It was possible he had overslept, but Ginny thought it highly unlikely. Draco wouldn't do that. She knew he was just as anxious as she to see who was paired with whom. And he wouldn't have risked calling suspicion to himself by being gone. No, there had to be a reason for it. She just couldn't figure out what.

Hermione called her name softly, pulling Ginny back to the present. " Ginny, are you okay? You look a little pale."

Luckily, Hermione had been speaking low enough that it didn't catch Ron or Harry's attention. She knew her older brother would have been on her faster than she could blink if he thought she was ill. 

" I'm fine, just hungry." It was the only excuse Ginny could think of. She couldn't possibly tell Hermione that she was worried about Draco. What if something had happened with the Soul Keeper? Draco had told her that it would probably attack again, that it was trying to weaken him. What if it had?

Ginny turned her face away from Hermione so the other girl wouldn't see her worry and quickly took her seat at the Gryffindor table. She put on an excited smile, hoping that no one would see through the act. She thought Hermione might have, but the Head Girl made no comment.

Over half of Ginny's breakfast was spent craning her head this way and that, constantly on the look out for the shock of blonde hair and the flashing smirk that would mark Draco out in any crowd. She was so caught up in looking for him, she didn't even touch her food, and she almost missed it when Dumbledore stood up to make the announcement. 

That was the time Draco chose to come creeping through the door, careful not to attract attention to himself. That wasn't hard, considering that the eyes of the entire student body were riveted on the Headmaster. He snuck quietly to his seat without a word, observed only by the Slytherins seated immediately around him, who noted his presence with only slightly curious expressions and then ignored him. 

Ginny appeared to be the only other person who noticed his entrance, and she breathed a quit sigh of relief when she saw him looking perfectly fine. It was so quiet that not even Hermione heard it, which Ginny was thankful for. 

She was about to turn her attention back to Dumbledore, when a slight movement of Draco's head drew her gaze and he caught her eyes. 

A slight smile crossed his face, and Ginny was unable to keep from grinning back at him. Obviously, things had changed for both of them last night. As she looked at him, Ginny saw the mischievous glint in his eyes, all too recognizable after living with Fred and George her entire life. What was he up to?

Draco ignored her unspoken question, tilting his head in the direction of the high table instead; silently indicating that she should pay attention to what Dumbledore had begun to say.

Ginny took the hint, turning her eyes away from the Slytherin table and towards the Headmaster.

" After a great deal of thought and effort, " he was saying, "the professors and I have come up with pairings that we believe will prove satisfactory to all. First-" 

Ginny listened as name after name was called out, smiling slightly when it was announced that Harry and Hermione would be paired together. They would work well with one another. Ron looked slightly disappointed, but Hermione seemed happy that she would be able to work with someone in her own house.

" Besides," Ginny caught her telling Ron, " if they had paired me and you together, they probably knew we wouldn't have gotten very much work done." 

Ron's face turned a very bright red at this comment, which just made Harry, Ginny, and Hermione laugh harder then they had been previously. They were soon shushed by some of the other students, and forced to stay quiet.

Ron was announced soon after that, and it came as a surprise to everyone when he was paired with Liana McDowery, a seventh year Ravenclaw who was notorious for her "learning-constantly-is-fun" attitude and the way she was always on people's backs to study more. That probably explained why she and Hermione had hit if off really well.

While the rest of them had a good laugh over this twist of fate, Ron looked positively miserable. It would be his worst nightmare to have to work with someone like Liana. 

" Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…" he muttered under his breath. 

" Nonsense," Hermione told him firmly. " Liana is very intelligent and dedicated, she'll be a huge help to you. You couldn't ask for a better partner."

" Wanna bet…" Ron grumbled, looking pointedly at Harry.

Harry just shrugged helplessly, a grin on his face. When Ron turned away, disgusted at being laughed at in what he considered a horrible predicament, Harry glanced over at Ginny and they both burst into laughter.

It was only when Hermione nudged her in the ribs that she realized Dumbledore had just announced her name.

" Ginny Weasely and Draco Malfoy-"

A sudden hush came over the crowd, as everyone alternated between staring at Ginny and then at Draco in confusion. How could the teachers possibly expect them to do well together?

Ginny glanced over at Draco quickly, just in time to catch the smug look that crossed his features before he concealed it. So he _had _been up to something. He caught her looking and met her eye, his facial expression changing to a sneer. Ginny scowled back, knowing that it would be best if they kept up the pretense of hating each other, at least for a little while. 

Hermione, Harry, Ron, and all the rest of her house were watching her somewhat apprehensively when she broke her gaze away from Draco and turned back around in her seat.

" I think I'm going to be sick," she announced, surprising herself at the easiness of the lie. _Well, practice makes perfect, so they say. And I've had plenty of practice lately._

Harry and Hermione nodded sympathetically, but Ron looked like he was ready to jump up and start shouting at the professors.

" Oh, no you don't," Ginny told him quickly, reaching across the table to grab his arm. " There must have been a reason they put the two of us together. I'll just have to learn to work with him, that's all." She gave a weak smile, trying to sound convincing.

Ron started at her. " How can you be so calm? It's Malfoy!!" 

This last part came out so loud that Ginny knew everyone in the Hall must have heard him.

" Could you shout a little louder please, Ron? I don't think Mum and Dad heard you." Ginny looked at him coolly. 

Ron spluttered in indignation for a moment, but couldn't come up with anything to say. Instead, he peered over Ginny's shoulder to glare icily at Draco. " He better watch himself, that's all I'm saying. He'd better watch out…"

Ginny rolled her eyes. It was almost funny, the way Ron was freaking out about her having to work with Draco. 

__

Wonder what he'd say if I told him that he kissed me last night?

The thought made Ginny grin involuntarily. Now, _that _would be a show she could sell tickets for. 

Dumbledore had obviously reached the end of his list, and as soon as things were quieter, he went on. " Now that you all know who your partners are, one person from each team needs to come up and collect the parchment which will have your teams challenge written on it." 

Several of the students jumped up instantly and made a beeline for the stage, some from the same team who were totally ignoring the "one-person" request. 

" Form a line, please," Dumbledore added as an afterthought, seeing the chaos the students were creating by trying to rush up at once. 

Several of the professors stood up from their table as well, walking over to help sort the mess out and give the student teams their challenges. 

Ginny remained seating, looking over her shoulder to find that Draco was doing the same. The other three had already stood up and joined the line, leaving Ginny virtually alone at the table. Nobody would see the smile she shot towards Draco, or the answering one she received in return. 

When the line had almost dwindled to an end, Draco suddenly appeared behind Ginny's chair, catching her by surprise. 

" Ready to go get our _challenge, _Gin?" 

Luckily, Hermione, Harry, and Ron had already told her goodbye and left to get started on their projects or to head for class, Ginny wasn't sure which. She was just glad that she wouldn't be under any close scrutiny. Now that the initial surprise and excitement of the announcement of the strange pairing was over, no one was giving them a second glance.

"Guess so," she replied, standing up. 

They started walking towards the end of the line, Ginny sending Draco curious glances, but not wanting to ask. Draco remained silent, however, and she was forced to give in. " Alright, alright. So how did you do it, already?"

" Do what?" Draco asked innocently, but there was a self-satisfied look on his face. 

" Win the _Most Popular Student _Contest, " Ginny mocked sarcastically. " What do _you_ think? How did you arrange it so that we would be paired up?" 

Draco shot her a sly glance from the side, and then shrugged nonchalantly. " It was pretty easy. They just drew names from a hat this morning, so all I had to do was put a spell to make sure that it was our names that came out together."

" I knew it!" Ginny exclaimed, grinning at him. " As soon as I saw you walk in here with that smirk on your face…" she trailed off, seeming to realize something. " Why did you tell me that it wasn't a good idea last night?" She demanded.

" Well, I…uh..," he sighed. " Okay, so after I thought about it for a while I decided that it really did make since, and that if it could be done I should do it. So I did."

" Without me," she stated flatly. 

" Yeah."

Neither of them said anything else, and a few moments later they reached the Headmaster. 

Dumbledore looked them both in the face; a slight smile on his features and the usual sparkle in his eye seemed brightened beyond normal. " Now then, " he began, " I must say this is quite an unusual circumstance. But perhaps fate knows more than all of us would wish."

Ginny had to try desperately not to burst out laughing at this statement, and when she looked at Draco, he sent her a quick wink. _Right, _his eyes seemed to say, _fate. That was definitely it._

For a moment, Ginny almost felt as though Dumbledore knew what they were thinking; there was a sudden knowing look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Then it was gone, replaced by an uncertain smile, and Ginny wasn't even really sure it had been there at all. However, Dumbledore's cheerful, carefree attitude quickly returned, and he handed a slip of paper to Ginny.

" This is your challenge. You must work on it together, and you need to be ready in exactly a month from now." He met both of their eyes in turn, his face serious. " I wish you both the best of luck."

" Thank you, sir," Ginny replied politely, knowing that Draco would say no such thing. " We'll do our best."

Dumbledore's gaze switched to Draco, who nodded stiffly. He might have changed his attitude towards her, but it was obvious he still disliked Dumbledore as much as ever.

__

Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day, she recited silently, the memory of the Muggle saying her mother had taught her resurfacing. She shouldn't expect Draco to change all at once. In fact, she probably shouldn't expect him to change anymore than he already had. That amount of change in such a short time period was unbelievable enough as it was.

" Come on, let's get out of here," he told her quietly after Dumbledore had turned away from them and went back to converse with the other professors. 

Ginny nodded, following him out of the Great Hall, but staying far enough away from him so that anyone watching wouldn't be suspicious. That was the way they walked out onto the Grounds, Draco leading the way, and Ginny walking a foot or two away from him.

He led her back around the lake, to the secluded spot she had found him at the day before. This time, he didn't bother climbing up onto the bolder, preferring instead to walk around to the grassy area in front of it. Here he took a seat on the grass and motioned for her to do the same. 

Ginny sat, realizing that this was a very private spot indeed; a place where they could see a lot of what went on, but where they were hidden from view by the surrounding trees and the boulder. 

" Let's find out what that says. " Draco indicated the piece of parchment that still remained folded in Ginny's hand, " then we can figure out how to start."

Ginny opened the slip of paper as he had asked, laying it out in front of her on the ground. She opened her mouth to read the note aloud, but Draco moved closer to her, until they were only inches apart and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek as he read the note. The sensation reminded her instantly of the time he had grabbed her in the Library, except this time it was a great deal less startling. Had that been only last night? It seemed like longer. 

Without realizing what she was doing, she shifted her weight slightly, making her lean closer to him. 

The small smile that crossed his face made it clear that Draco had noticed, but he didn't say anything. 

They both finished the note at about the same time, exchanging identical glances of surprise when they had finished it. There had to be some sort of mistake. That couldn't possibly be what they were assigned to do. Could it?

Ginny read the letter again.

In a familiar place inside the Hall

You shall find a hidden wall

Find the secret key you must

One hint I give you: look in the rust

Open the door to this secret place

There you will find the task that waits 

No, there was no mistaking the words; they said quite plainly what needed to be done. Or not so plainly really. It was a riddle of some kind, and Ginny had no idea what it meant. 

"A familiar place inside the Hall," Draco read out loud. " I think that means the Great Hall. See how "Hall" is capitalized, like a proper noun?"

Ginny looked back at the paper. He was right. " Yeah," she agreed, " that makes sense. I suppose." She looked up at him confusedly, biting her lip. " But what does it mean in a familiar place? The only time we ever go to the Great Hall is for meals or dances and things. We don't really hang out in there enough to be familiar with a particular part, do we?"

Draco shook his head. " I don't know about that part, but let's look at the next line."

" You shall find a hidden wall," Ginny repeated the line. " Why would there be a hidden wall anywhere there? And where could it be when it's all open space?"

" It might not really be a hidden wall, so much as a hidden door in one of the existing walls. There are lots of those around Hogwarts." he informed her, frowning thoughtfully. " The next lines say something about finding a key to the door in the rust, whatever that means. I say that's our best bet. We've got to go over the whole Hall, see if we kind find some sort of hidden door or a key." 

" Okay," Ginny nodded. " When do we start?"

" Right now. Apparently, this is only a beginning to our first challenge, how do we know how long the next part will take? We've got to get started right away."

That made sense, Ginny figured. They did need to get started quickly. Neither of them knew how much work they would have to do after they found this room. It could even just lead them somewhere else. But…" What about…that?" she asked him, feeling slightly sickened as she looked towards his necklace.

Draco glanced down quickly, his hand snaking up to wrap around the silver column of burnished silver. " I don't really know." All his lighthearted winks and smiles had disappeared, and his face appeared haunted again. " I've been thinking about it, and I'm not actually sure there _is_ anything else we can do here. There isn't anything else here to help us at all. I'm beginning to think I might just have to wait until Christmas break to do something else. I'm sure Father has something on this, or knows something…" he trailed off thoughtfully.

" But you can't!" Ginny cried in protest. " If you wait until you go home, then how am I supposed to help you?"

Draco gave her a long, measuring look. " I'm not so sure you can help me anyway, Gin. This really isn't something you need to get involved with. Why don't-"

" Like hell it's not!" Ginny burst in. " In case you haven't noticed, I'm _already _involved. Your stuck with me now, Draco Malfoy, whether you like it or not." Her chin jutted out stubbornly, and she gave Draco a determined look.

Although he had intended to be serious and firm with her, a smile stole uninvited over his face. " I know that," he said gently. " But look," he went on, running a hand through his tousled hair. " Let's talk about this later and get back to the challenge, okay?"

She gave him a measuring look, trying to gauge how serious he was. "Okay."

***************************

A/N: Hah, that wasn't really a cliffie either, so there! Hope you all liked this chapter, and thanks to all my reviewers. Oh, and in case some of you hadn't guessed, chapters with Malfoy Manor will be coming up fairly soon, yeah! I look forward to writing those. I also wanted to let everyone know that I have started another story now, one that is more Slytherin based. It will have D/G and R/Hr in it, because those are just my favorite ships, but it will also have a bit more of an action/adventure flare to it. It's called The Secret Slytherin Society, or the SSS, and I've only got one review on it so far. There are two chapters up already, and I'd really appreciate it if some of you who really like TSK would check it out and tell me what you think. Thanks!

If anyone wants to receive chapter update notifications, please leave your email address in a review and I will put you on my list.


	14. The Secret Door

Disclaimer: JKR owns anything you've heard of, I own the plot and anything you haven't.

Chapter 14: The Secret Door

They headed back towards the castle together, talking things over and trying to decide where they should start looking that afternoon. Against the wishes of both, they would have to suffer through their classes first. 

When they reached the corridor, Ginny immediately turned to make her own way to Transfiguration, which was to be her first class of the day. A soft touch on her shoulder stopped her, and she was suddenly reminded of the time not very long ago when someone had touched her shoulder in the Great Hall in quite the same way, but then disappeared before she could be certain who it was. After that, she had often wondered whether it had been Draco, or if that were just wishful thinking on her part. Now, there could be no doubt. The slight pressure of his hand was exactly the way she remembered it.

This time, she didn't waste a moment and turned around quickly. "What?"

"Do you…can I…," Draco began hesitantly, quite unlike his normal self-assured way of talking. "What I mean is, can I walk you to class? I have Potions first, and Snape won't mind if I'm a little late…" He got this out quickly, and as Ginny glanced up at him, surprise evident on her features, it seemed to her that it was almost like he was afraid she would say no. 

Maybe he was worried about that kiss last night. It had certainly not been expected, but that didn't mean it hadn't been welcome. It had actually been nice, at least for her. What if he didn't feel the same way? She quickly tried to dismiss the thought. If he hadn't felt _something, _why would he be asking to walk her to class now? 

Obviously, the problem was that neither of them had so much as dared mention what had happened the night before the whole time they had been talking. They were too uncertain of each other. Even now, Ginny still felt that way. She was afraid to let herself get carried away with her feelings; it was too easy to get hurt that way. Maybe Draco felt the same. Could it be that he was just as uncertain of his feelings as she was?

The thought unnerved her. It was strange to think that there might be something out there that could make Draco unsure of himself.

Looking up at him, she smiled slightly, her doubt clearly showing. " I guess you could if you want," she told him, feeling awkwardly shy all of a sudden. She didn't know why, after all, she'd already kissed him hadn't she? Why be shy now? But things seemed different in the light of day, and already her common sense was telling her that this might not be such a good idea. But since when had she ever listened to that?

***************************************

After Draco walked Ginny to class ( a strange affair, with neither of them saying much, often only glancing over at each other and grinning stupidly, as though walking to class together was insanely funny), he hurried to get to his own. He still had five minutes to spare, but since he was on the other side of the castle and the Potion's classroom was all the way down in the dungeons, he knew that wouldn't go very far. 

He began a sprint down the hallway, allowing his thoughts to wonder as he did so. In his mind's eye, he saw Ginny's face again, smiling shyly up at him when he had bid her good-bye down the hall from the door to the Transfiguration classroom. So compelling had that smile been; it's child-like innocence radiating from her face, that Draco had had the immediate, irresistible urge to lean down and whisper quietly in her ear " Have a good class, Gin" before kissing her swiftly on the cheek and striding around the corner out of sight.

Luckily, no one had been around to see what surely would have been an amazing event, well worth discussion by any of the numerous gossips located throughout Hogwarts. Even if they had, Draco was almost certain he probably wouldn't have cared at the moment anyway.

It was this train of thought that kept him occupied most of the way to his destination. He was very near the stairs leading down to Potions when a deserted classroom caught his eye, its door standing wide open. 

He veered into it and had closed the door behind him before he could even begin to wonder why he'd done it. A cold voice startled him out of his temporary mental haze.

__

I can _do it, as you must obviously see now. Take control of you, without a moments notice._

"_Salazar_!" his mind whispered fiercely, giving a hard shove that pushed the other's presence back to the farthest reaches of his mind. 

Draco was getting angry and confused. What did the old devil mean? He had come into the room of his own free will, undoubtedly for a purpose. Hadn't he? Suddenly, he wasn't so sure. Why had he come? Forcing his mind away from that horrible possibility, he turned his attention and his anger to a more pressing threat than his own thoughts. "_What do you want now? Whatever it is, I want no part in it."_

So you have realized who I am, have you? It's about time. I was beginning to wonder if you were a bit dull and if perhaps I should have picked someone else to help me with my quest.

"You probably should have," Draco sneered. "_I told you, I don't plan on helping."_

Maybe not now, but as you are just beginning to understand, when I need you, you will have little choice in the matter.

Draco felt a twinge of unease at these words, but he was determined not to let fear overtake him. He was learning more out of this conversation than he ever had previously. "_What will you need me for?" _he asked after a moments pause, feigning a fascinated curiosity that he didn't really feel.

__

Ah, at last. I've been waiting for you to ask that. I feel that now I am prepared to answer you, to an extent. You will bring me back to life, heralding my rise to a great glory never known before on the face of this earth. When I have returned, the world will have a new master, a ruler unrivaled and unequaled. With the necklace you now where around your neck, I will know untold power; and you, my friend, will rise with me.

All this was said so matter-of-factly that Draco couldn't repress the urge to roll his eyes. The guy sounded like he was reading lines from some Muggle fantasy book. But even as he tried to laugh it off, Draco could not deny the seriousness of the situation. If Salazar was allowed to rise from the grave and use the Soul Keeper, thousands of wizards and Muggles alike could be killed in an effort to stop him. It could bring about the greatest destruction the world had seen since Voldemort. Probably even more. 

The thought made even Draco cringe. This was all happening so fast. Wasn't he even going to be allowed time to think in between all this? Why was _he_ the one to suddenly have "the weight of the world" thrown onto his shoulders? He could have sworn that was more Potter's thing. He didn't even get a choice as to what side to choose. The question of going along with Slytherin or fighting him had already been decided the day Ginny got involved in everything. Maybe, if he hadn't gotten to know her as well as he had, things would have been different. Then, he would probably have been more receptive to Slytherin's plans of world domination and the not-so-subtle promise of making Draco his right-hand man. 

Now, the only thing he could think of was how demented this man must have been in real life if he had managed to carry this much of his personality through with him into death. He had to fight him; there was no other option open to him. Malfoy or not, he couldn't help this mad man destroy the world, even if he was promised to be rewarded. Draco knew enough from his father to know that an underling, a subordinate, could very quickly become expendable once they had lived out their usefulness, and Draco had no intentions of finding that out first-hand. 

But none of these secret thoughts did he allow to slip into Salazar's domain to be picked up and read by him. He kept them firmly in the secure corner of his mind, only replying to Slytherin's grand statement with a noncommittal " mhmm." 

He was more worried about how Salazar had managed to take control of his body, even for a moment, without Draco realizing he was there. This worried him immensely. If it could come and go as it pleased, how could Draco ever be prepared to fight back? It would mean constant concentration, and that wasn't something Draco could do and keep going without end. He was only human, and he had learned from these occasional, brief conversations that even the effort of mind-speak took an extreme amount of strength and endurance. What would he do if he couldn't keep his few mental shields up and Salazar learned everything that was really in his mind? 

Another thing was bothering Draco too. How had Salazar known that there was a doorway there and guided him into the room? Draco was convinced that that was what had to have happened. There was no other explanation to his being there. And that meant that Salazar must have more of a hold over him than Draco had imagined possible, if he could slip into the part of his mind that controlled his vision and see through Draco's eyes. 

There was no doubt about it. Draco had allowed himself to relax, thinking that Slytherin would not dare come back so soon to bother him. He had been wrong, and now he must keep a constant watch for him. Even when he was around Ginny. _Especially_ when he was around Ginny.

Slytherin already knew that he had a soft spot for the girl, the last thing he wanted it to discover was just how much of one. She made him feel things that no other girl had ever made him feel. His heart beat quicker when she was around; his mouth was more ready to smile. Jokes formed on his lips willing themselves to be presented before he even realized they were there, and the hardness in his eyes faded away almost to nothing when he was close to her. Nothing he had ever experienced with Pansy or any of the other numerous girls he'd been around over the years could even come close to matching the sensation. It was like…like his own heaven on earth. His and Ginny's.

He did not intend to let Salazar ruin that for him, and when the presence began fading from his mind, he gave it a firm push to help it on it's way. He could not completely banish it on his own, but he could see it to the door, in a manner of speaking. 

__

I'm not finished with you Draco. Not by a long run. I'll be back, but not for a while. It is not yet time. All my supporters have yet to be gathered. Go ahead, have your fun now and enjoy it, for when I do come, you will not be able to resist me. And Draco…before you decide to refuse me, think hard and carefully. Your very happiness may depend on it. Besides; being my apprentice might not be such a bad position after all.

With those final words of farewell, Slytherin was gone, and Draco was left to ponder his words.

*************************************

Needless to say, Draco was _very_ late for class, but, just as expectedly, no points were taken off of Slytherin when Draco smugly claimed that he had been unavoidably detained. Snape had eyed him strangely and several of the Slytherins had snickered at the disgusted look on the Gryffindor's faces when he wasn't punished, but other than that nothing more was said about the incident.

Ginny and Draco spent the rest of the day in a frustrated haze, wishing they could get out of class, and both taking even longer with their work as a result.

Eventually, their last class _did _come to an end, and Ginny hurried to the entrance of the Great Hall immediately afterwards to wait for Draco. He was supposed to meet her there. She didn't even bother to go back to the common room to put her books up, so she was stuck holding them in the hall. Now she regretted that immensely.

Ten minutes passed, her arms growing more tired by the second, and when he still hadn't shown up she went ahead and took a seat at the empty Gryffindor table, laying her books out in front of her and relieving her arms. Pulling the folded up paper from her pocket, she placed it on the table in front of her and began studying it again. She might as well do _something_ until Draco arrived.

She only had time to read and re-read the "clue" once before she heard footsteps behind her and glanced around to see Draco approaching.

"About time you showed up, I was beginning to wonder if you'd gotten lost," she told him, only half-joking. 

Draco didn't answer, just continued to walk forward until he could throw himself into the seat beside her tiredly.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly, alarmed at his odd behavior. She'd never seen Draco "throw" himself anywhere before. He was normally much too graceful.

Draco sighed, looking up to meet her eyes as he told her what had happened that morning and how worn out he was now after having to sit through classes and pretend to pay attention all day. He didn't tell her what Salazar had told him though, preferring to keep that to himself for the time being. It would only worry her more, and he didn't want to see the horrified and tense look that he knew would come over her face if he told her everything. He didn't want to be responsible for the darkening of her playful eyes into seriousness, and he certainly didn't want to be responsible for any impulsive actions she might take because of him. If she got hurt somehow…Draco just didn't think he would be able to stand it.

"Should we postpone this then? We can try tomorrow if you don't feel up to it," Ginny offered, not bothering to hide the concern from her face. The way he seemed so tired worried her extremely, and she didn't want to push him farther than he was physically capable of going at the moment. He looked as if he could fall into bed and sleep for days.

"No!" Draco protested violently, sitting straight up in his chair in an effort to look more awake. "I'm not going to let him ruin my life when I have a choice about it. I'm going to go on as if nothing has happened."

"Alright…" Ginny agreed hesitantly, not wanting to argue. If he insisted that he was well enough to continue, then she was not going to argue. That is, not unless he got so bad that she _had _to. "Let's try to figure out where to start then." 

"Already have. I've been thinking about it today, and I think I know where to look first." 

"Where?" she asked curiously.

"Right there." Draco pointed to a corner at the far end of the Hall. " It will probably be somewhere close to there."

"What makes you so sure?" Ginny asked doubtfully. She didn't really see why that corner was any different from the others except…

That was it. It was darker than any other part of the Great Hall. The Hogwarts banner hung there, blocking the light from reaching it and creating a huge shadow underneath. 

"In a dark place inside the Hall," she chanted with Draco as she realized what he meant. "Of course! Let's go look." 

Draco grinned at her enthusiasm, seeming more himself already as he stood up to follow her.

"Feeling better already?" she teased as they walked towards the corner.

"Actually, I am. Nothing cheers a fellow up more than a pretty face." he winked, smiling broadly when he saw the rosy blush that crept up her cheek at his unexpected compliment.

Ginny smiled back at him, trying desperately to calm her racing heart and still the sudden longing she felt to be in his arms. She suddenly recollected the night before on the staircase when he had caught her in his arms. How things had changed since then, all in mere hours! The warm memory almost overcame her and she had to force herself back to the business at hand. This was not a time to be daydreaming.

Without saying anything else, they arrived at the corner together, and Ginny paused in contemplation. Okay, so it was a corner. A bit darker then the rest of the room, but there seemed to be nothing significant about it other than that. An old armored knight presided there, it's metal clearly ancient and dull. Funny, but she never remembered seeing that there before…

She glanced over at Draco, who shook his head, confirming her suspicions. It _hadn't _been there before. 

Find the secret key you must

One hint I give you: look for the rust

The words seemed to spring into Ginny's mind unbidden, and as she realized what they might mean her excitement mounted. 

Rushing over, she began looking the armor over for any signs of rust. Old as it appeared to be, she could find nothing at first. 

Upon closer inspection, Ginny discovered that towards the bottom, right behind the figure's right foot, there was a square patch of rust, immediately observable from her new vantage point on the ground because of it's complete contrast to the rest of the silver metal. However, anyone who wasn't specifically looking for it would probably never have seen it.

"I think I found something," Ginny told Draco, who had come to stand beside her, his expression a mixture of curiosity and doubt. 

"Let's see it then." His tone held the smallest stirrings of excitement, and Ginny suddenly realized that they were both acting almost as if this was a game. It _seemed _like a game. And Ginny was a little surprised to find that she was enjoying it. 

__

Wonder if any of the other students got sent on treasure hunts like this? 

Upon hearing Draco's approval, Ginny carefully put her finger in the center of the square of rust and pressed slightly. 

It was enough. There was a soft grating sound, and then silence.

Ginny picked herself up from the floor, looking skeptically at the wall, still firmly in position. "Umm… Draco, did I miss something?" She had thought the wall would move or disappear, or something, but it didn't appear to have changed at all. 

Draco was about to answer her when a faint shimmer about halfway up the wall caught his eye, causing him to stare at it, intrigued. Without bothering to answer Ginny aloud, he pointed to a spot about halfway up the wall. 

Following his direction, Ginny immediately looked up and was surprised to find that something had happened after all. A small door had opened in the wall, and something inside seemed to be causing the light to shimmer and reflect strangely. That must have been how Draco spotted it, she thought, because if it weren't for that, neither of them would probably have noticed it. It looked just wide enough for the two of them to fit through side by side, but the ceiling was so low that they would most assuredly have to crawl. 

"Okay, so we found the "hidden wall". Now how do we get up there?"

Draco glanced towards her quickly. "I've no idea."

" Excuse me?" Ginny asked plaintively, "Aren't you supposed to be the Slytherin here? Sly, cunning, and ingenious plan-maker?"

"I'm having an off day," he replied, grinning slightly at her expression. "Sue me."

"That might not be such a bad idea…" Ginny began playfully, but trailed off as she thought of something that might work. "Do you think we could take turns raising each other up there with the Levitating Spell?"

"No," Draco rejected the proposal firmly. "Wingardium Leviosa is only used for small objects." 

"Okay…what about that spell that makes a rope come out of the end of your wand and allows you to direct it to wherever you need it to go?" 

"I've got a better idea," Draco told her smugly. "How about a ladder?"

"That could work," Ginny conceded sheepishly as Draco smirked. "Where do we get one?"

"I've seen one kept in the Quidditch shed before." 

"Let's go get it."

"We'll have to ask permission." Draco didn't look too happy at the thought.

"No, _I'll _ask for permission to get the ladder, _you _meet me at the shed," Ginny told him after a few seconds inward debate. That would give him time to maybe sit down and rest a bit before she got back, she had decided. And whether he would admit it or not, he looked like he could use the break. There was a look of tiredness evident in his eyes that most people wouldn't even notice, but Ginny had been around him enough now to recognize it for herself. He was worn out.

Her tone didn't invite argument, so Draco gave none. "Alright. Meet you there."

They walked out of the Great Hall and into the corridor together, then parted. Ginny turned to make her way to Dumbledore's office, and Draco swung open the door to the Grounds.

*******************************

A/N: End of yet another chapter. Sorry if this one didn't have as much action in it as they usually do, it's kind of one of those in between ones. And I had to explain more about the Soul Keeper. Hope everyone likes the fact that I'm getting more into the D/G goodness, I don't want to get too fluffy though. 

Chapter 15: We get to discover what is in the secret room and what more Draco and Ginny will have to do for their challenge. We won't, however, get to see them finish it. That will probably happen in chapter 16 if everything goes as planned and I don't make anymore plot detours. 

Thanks to my previous reviewers (12th and 13th chapters):

****

Rainbowfishez: _As always, thanks for your support on this story and for reviewing loyally. Hope you like this chapter as much as you have the others. Also, I wanted to mention how much I like your story, The Song in the Locket. It's really good, all you people out there! I recommend you all go read it, I'm sure you'll like it. And don't forget to review! It hasn't gotten very many so far and I think it deserves more._

MysticalStormz: _You've also been on of my loyal reviewers, thanks so much for your encouragement and I hope this chapter meets your approval as well. You got to see what the riddle was, no?_

Gohansfan: _I'm so glad you like my story, but please don't die of suspense until you can read it all! It would be such a waste…*grins*_

Yochy: _Don't worry, this story will definitely keep going…_

Kilmeny: _Yes, I know the kiss was pretty chaste, but I just didn't think anything else would be appropriate at this point either. Come on, they've just really met, right? Lol. There will be a more "passionate" kiss later, but not for a while. There is a lot more doubt and uncertainty that they have to face about each other first. Love just doesn't happen overnight. I'm just really glad you like the story!_

Syltherin Physche: _Hi! Glad you liked the chapters, especially the kiss! It was pretty good, wasn't it? *sigh* Probably one of my best pieces…No, that was so not meant to sound conceited, I'm just kidding, lol. But when are you going to get the next chapter of your story out?!! I've been waiting for what seems like forever! And it's getting really good now. (For those of you who have no idea what story I mean, check my favorites list)_

Pheonix: _You really think it's original? Thanks! I tried not to do all those cliché things that everyone gets so tired of, I'm glad it's working!_

Purus.flere: _Yes! Your comment really made me feel great. I've tried to stay as true to my characters characters as possible, it's nice to know I'm doing it right. Come on, when you have a death eaters son and a "nice" girl like Ginny, things aren't going to happen overnight and always turn out perfect. There will be a lot more drama and uncertainty about their relationship coming up soon._

If I've missed anyone, I sincerely apologize. You know I love you all though!

And don't forget that if you want to be updated when I get a new chapter out, just leave your email address in a review and I'll put you on my list. Thanks!


	15. The Rainbow Room

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: Just a quick one before the chapter. I know it's been forever since I updated, and I just want to apologize for that. I've been insanely busy, so please forgive me. As it is, I'm still busy, but I'll try to update more often. I'm afraid I'm going through a bit of writer's block now, but I'll go ahead and send in the chapters I've finished every once in a while and hopefully I'll be able to finish the story soon. Thanks!

Chapter 15: The Rainbow Room

As Ginny had expected, Draco was waiting quietly for her when she reached the Quidditch shed after having received Dumbledore's permission to use the ladder.

She smiled slightly to herself when she recalled Dumbledore's knowing glance when she had given her request. He seemed to know exactly what she had wanted the ladder for. And when she thought about it, he probably had. After all, hadn't he and the teachers been the ones to assign the tasks?

The Headmaster had asked her no questions, just indicated his approval with a nod of his head, wishing her good luck once again as she exited his office. 

As she drew nearer to the shed, she realized that her first observation of Draco had been incomplete. Not only was he still and quiet, he was asleep.

Ginny stifled the mirthful giggle that threatened to turn into a loud laugh and contented herself with grinning broadly down at his sleeping form.

Leaning against the building, lost in sleep, Draco looked more peaceful than she had ever seen him. There was a sort of boyish innocence in his face that gave her the impression that perhaps the scars of his unhappy childhood were not as deep as they could have been. They might even, in time, be healed. With help. 

For a long moment, they seemed to hang suspended in time, as though the world around them kept on changing and growing, living and dying, and they alone had accomplished the impossible and stepped out of its insistent flow. In this new world, this ripple in time, there was nothing but the two of them. 

Ginny stood watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, an incomprehensible wave of emotions chasing each other back and forth across her face. 

She frowned suddenly, unsure exactly what she was doing here. Shouldn't she just wake him up so they could get to work? But there was something so special, so charming about seeing him like this that she couldn't quite make herself move away or wake him up. A million thoughts and feelings raced through her mind; doubts, fears, worries; but each of these were shoved back resolutely. Other feelings were allowed to stay, were even welcomed; compassion, respect… affection. 

Yes, when Draco suddenly opened his eyes and caught her staring at him, he was almost certain that there was something akin to adoration or affection on her face. It made him smile slightly as he raised himself up, and he lifted his eyebrows at her mockingly.

" Do you always stare at sleeping people with that look on your face?" he drawled, a roughish grin spreading across his face.

" Only when they're you," Ginny retorted playfully, taking both herself and Draco by surprise. As soon as she said that, her hand clapped over her mouth and a look of horror crossed her features. " I didn't mean that. I mean, that's not what a I meant to say-" she broke off as she saw Draco's disappointed look. Oh no! What must he think of her now? " I mean, I did mean it, but I-" she quickly tried to explain, but was quickly cut off as Draco took two long strides and stood in front of her, pressing his finger firmly over her mouth in the universal gesture for " shh". 

" I know what you meant," he assured her, his eyes openly laughing at her. " You don't have to explain."

He moved his finger and Ginny bit her lip in embarrassment, feeling the heat that must be radiating off her bright red face in waves. 

Draco tactfully refused to comment on this, insisting instead that it was high time they got that ladder back to the Great Hall. Ginny agreed and they set to work immediately, both of them silent.

For the first time in her life, Ginny saw something of a gentleman in the way Draco ignored her obvious discomfiture and worked to put her back at ease. She was extremely appreciative. He had saved her from potentially becoming even more of a blubbering idiot than Lavender Brown, and that was saying something.

By the time they reached the Great Hall again, ladder in tow, a companionable silence had descended and the air was relatively clear of any strain or tension between them. It was as if they had been friends for years, and the whole embarrassing episode outside had never even happened. 

Working together, they managed to maneuver the ladder into position fairly quickly and easily. After that, it was just a matter of who went first.

" I'll go first, " Ginny offered, her foot already on the first rung. " I want to see what's up there."

" Oh no you don't," Draco countered, grabbing her arm in a firm grip and blocking her access to the ladder. " Someone has to make sure this old thing is even safe to climb first."

" And I suppose you think you're the one to do it, hmm?" Ginny demanded, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed. Just because they were friends now didn't mean they were going to do it all his way.

" Actually, yes, I think I should go first."

" Well I think I should," she returned defiantly, her eyes blazing as she looked up at him. She just knew he was giving her one of those " girls can't do anything" lectures. 

At first, Draco met her own fiery look with a cold one of his own. But after a moment his features softened, and he sighed. " Alright Gin, you win. You can go first." He stepped back to allow her to get to the ladder.

" Really?" she asked curiously, surprise evident in her voice. She had expected him to put up a little more resistance than this. 

" Yes really. But do me a favor, okay?"

" What?"

" Be careful. I've only just found out what you're really like, don't go breaking your scrawny little neck on me now." He smiled, but his eyes said he was serious. 

" Certainly not," she agreed eagerly. " Believe me, I would not fall off this ladder without letting you know first."

" Why?" he questioned innocently. " So I could catch you?"

" Well…" she trailed off. " Would you?" The smile had gone from her eyes, replaced by a look so intense that Draco felt his own face becoming serious. 

" You know I would," he told her unhesitatingly, and though confirming his statement, he leaned forward and kissed her gently and quickly on the lips. " Now get going before I change my mind."

"Yes sir," Ginny replied enthusiastically, feeling like she was in danger of floating up and touching the ceiling at any given moment. He had kissed her. Again! It was almost unbelievable. At this time yesterday, she had never even been kissed once, and now she had received _two. _Who would have thought?

She shivered as she climbed the ladder, and she had to exert a great amount of will power to keep her hands from trembling with pleasure. The whole way up she kept glancing back down at him, a huge grin plastered all over her face. It was as if it could have all been a dream and if she didn't keep her eye on him, the Draco she had come to know and love would disappear in a cloud of smoke. 

Draco, from his watchful position on the ground, met her smiles with his own, even going so far as to allow himself to actually show affection in his eyes. Once or twice, he caught himself thinking that he must be going completely insane. How could you go from hating a girl to liking her almost more than you were prepared to admit? It was just strange. 

__

The story of my life, he thought a bit sarcastically, rolling his eyes. 

Just then, Ginny reached the top of the ladder and stood face to face with the now open door. 

" What's it look like?" Draco questioned, honest curiosity in his voice. 

" Well, it's-" Ginny hesitated a moment before continuing. "It's rather small, but I think both of us can make it if we crawl." She shot him a measuring glance. " Yeah, I'm fairly sure you can make it." 

Draco was tall and slender, and his shoulders were just wide enough to look powerful, without making him look bigger than he was. Ginny now felt sure that he could fit through the passage. 

"Should I go on in?" she asked uncertainly. 

" I can't exactly brush past you, now can I?" Draco shot back dryly, raising one eyebrow slightly. 

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. She knew it was extremely childish, but she just couldn't help it. He made her feel more alive and playful than she had in years. It wasn't often someone came along who she felt that comfortable with.

She pushed Draco out of her mind for the moment, making herself concentrate on easing over the top of the ladder and maneuver her way into the passage. It would be a close fit, but not too uncomfortable. But she knew it would be _very _uncomfortable if she fell. Draco couldn't catch her all the time.

From the ground Draco watched anxiously as first Ginny's head, then finally her feet disappeared into the wall. His lip was sore from biting it so hard, and he decided he couldn't stand there and wait anymore.

" Okay, I'm coming up now!" he called to her. Ginny said something in reply, but it was so muffled Draco couldn't understand it. " I'll take that as a yes."

He was halfway up the ladder when he heard laughter coming from somewhere behind him. Turning his head hastily, he spotted to girls standing in the doorway to the Great Hall, looking at him. 

" What are you _doing, _Draco?" one of them called to him. After looking carefully to see if he knew them, and finding that he didn't, he didn't even bother commenting. 

The girl stood waiting impatiently for a moment, then turned around haughtily and dragging her friend by the arm she marched out of the hall. As they walked down the corridor, Draco thought he heard her mummer, " They're right, he really is a jerk!"

For the second time that day, Draco rolled his eyes, smiling mirthlessly to himself. Part of him felt that being rude to other people partly made up for his lack of propriety towards Ginny.

He continued climbing and his head had just reached the top when Ginny's head popped out of the doorway and hit him. 

" Ow!" came to mutual cry as both of them reeled back, Ginny rubbing her forehead. Draco didn't have the luxury; he was too busy trying to keep the ladder, and consequently himself, from falling the twenty feet to the hard stone floor below. But it wasn't working. The ladder kept leaning farther and farther back the more Draco tried to keep it still.

Vaguely, he found himself wondering if he could sue the school for endangerment when he saw Ginny lean out and stretch her hand towards him.

" Grab it, Draco!" she urged, fear evident in her eyes.

The sound of her voice brought Draco back to action and he took her hand in a fierce grip, allowing her to pull him back to the wall.

When the ladder finally shuttered to a halt, Draco almost sagged in relief. 

" That's two I owe you," he told her looking straight into the warm brown eyes staring worriedly out at him from under a few locks of her brilliant red hair. " You know," he told her, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth, " it's supposed to be the boy who saves the girl. Not the girl who saves the boy."

" Says who?" Ginny challenged, instantly ready to defend her sex. 

"Draco felt his eyes drawn to her lips as she spoke, and something inside of him leaped when she licked them nervously. 

Obviously, his nearness was affecting her as well.

You know what?" he asked softly, trailing his eyes slowly up and over her face as he looked back into her eyes. " I don't know."

His eyes flickered to her lips again, and when he saw her lean forward ever so slightly he couldn't resist. He lowered his head towards her and felt vaguely surprised when he felt her lean into the kiss.

Encouraged, his hand found it's way to the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine as he pulled her closer. 

Ginny closed her eyes as she felt the soft touch of his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth, gasping slightly at the shock of it. Never had she experienced anything like the pure pleasure that made her heart pound loudly in her ears and set her whole body on fire. 

The slight parting of her lips was all that Draco needed, and he immediately took advantage of it. 

Those first few seconds were heaven for both of them. Never had they ever felt so close to another person. They strained towards one another, irritated at the ladder that separated them. 

Impatient for more, Draco began to deepen the kiss, and the suddenness of it woke Ginny from the dream state that she had been in and she jerked back in surprise.

What were they _doing_?

Draco looked up at her in surprise, confusion mixing with the passion that still clouded his eyes. " What…?"

Ginny smiled, her lips twisted into an expression akin to regret, and something Draco didn't quite recognize. 

" Not that I didn't like that," she told him honestly, for she really _had_, " but I suddenly realized that maybe the ladder is not the safest place." Okay, that part was complete improvisation. If she was totally honest with herself, Ginny knew that wasn't the real reason she had pulled away. She had liked kissing him, it had felt so right, but something made her hesitate when Draco had wanted to take it further. Secretly, she knew that she had been afraid. It was like she would be committing herself to something, and Ginny just didn't know if she was ready to go that far yet. She liked him, yes, possibly even loved him, but how could she be sure that it was right? What if it was nothing more than physical attraction for him? It was better just to take it slow for a while. There would be plenty of time for later, when she decided she was up for it and when she knew more about his true feelings. 

Draco blinked stupidly, still going through an almost painful sensation of withdrawal. He hadn't expected her to break the kiss before it had hardly even started.

Then her words sunk in and he gave a low chuckle. " I guess you're right. But remember," he couldn't help adding, "the ladder would have been perfectly safe if you hadn't tried to knock my head off."

" I didn't-" she started, then suddenly changed track in the middle of her sentence. " Hey, that's what I wanted to tell you. Come on, you've got to see this!"

She was already pushing herself backward as she talked, and Draco had plenty of room to follow her in. 

When they reached the end of the passageway, Ginny slid down feet first and then turned to give Draco a hand.

He didn't need it. Somehow, by the time she had turned around he had already twisted himself around and was sliding out. " Never mind," she muttered to herself, enjoying Draco's look of awe as his attention was caught by his surroundings.

" Is this great or what?" she asked him, grinning from ear to ear. 

Draco nodded absently, his mind still much to busy taking in the room to form a proper reply. It was unlike any place he's ever seen before. There were rainbows splayed all along the walls and the floors, dancing with the sunlight from the row of windows across the far side. Thousands of sparkling diamonds glittered all around, hanging from the ceilings and the walls, some strands even reaching their shimmering tendrils all the way down to the floor. There was only one word Draco could find to describe the scene.

" Beautiful," he breathed, so quietly that Ginny almost missed the word. 

" It is, isn't it?" she agreed. " And look, there." She pointed to the right-hand corner, where an ancient looking mirror stood, reflecting the light and adding to the brilliance of the room. 

Draco stepped closer to it, curious in spite of himself. 

And suddenly, Ginny was beside him, right next to a small chair with what looked like a slip of paper on it. He darted a look back over his shoulder, but the youngest Weasley hadn't moved. She was still too far away and at the wrong angle to be reflected in the mirror beside him, and there was no chair in sight. 

He turned back to the mirror, but there she was again. _Weird. _

Draco shook his head in disbelief. "Hey Gin, come here a minute."

Ginny walked forward, drawing her eyes away from the dazzling spectrum of light all around her and casting him a questioning glance. "What?"

"Here. Stand here." Draco indicated the spot beside him and Ginny moved into place.

"Oookay."

"What do you see?"

Ginny shot Draco a suspicious look. What did he think she saw? 

" Just humor me," he told her earnestly.

Ginny sighed and looked into the mirror one more time. Still the same. " I see us, of course," she answered.

" Just us, nothing else?"

"No nothing," Ginny paused. " Well, except for that chair in the corn-" 

Realization dawned in her eyes and she spun around in confusion, her eyes roaming over the corner where the chair should have been. " What on earth…?"

Draco shook his head, dumbfounded. " I don't know."

Sitting in the corner where the mirror had portrayed it ought to be was the small wooden chair and resting on top of it, a slip of paper.

Ginny turned back to the mirror, eyes wide, as Draco walked towards the chair. "Hey Ginny, look at this."

Ginny started to obey, but her eye was caught again by the reflection in the mirror. Draco was standing beside her, smiling. But there was no way- he was all the way across the room- how could…?

Ginny closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them as Draco called her again. Taking one last glance in the strange mirror, Ginny forced herself to walk over to where he was standing. That's when she noticed the paper he was holding in his hand.

" What's that?"

" I think," he said slowly, " it's our first _real _challenge."

" Let me see that," Ginny ordered excitedly, taking the paper from his hand and unfolding it. This time, the message wasn't written in riddle form.

****

Greetings, young students. If you have managed to find and retrieve this note, than part of your first challenge has been accomplished. The rest, however, will not prove so easy. It will take research, dedication, and hard work, but with the help of these three things, you should be able to accomplish your task in the given month. Your challenge will involve both magic and science. Do you see all the beautiful diamonds around the room, casting rainbows onto the floor and walls? You must arrange these diamonds so that the reflected rainbows form the shape of a six-pointed star on the wall opposite the windows. Accomplish this, and another door will open, allowing you to retrieve the gold token we have placed inside as proof that you have completed your task. It is this that you will present on the required day to either myself, or to one of the teachers. Since I know how difficult this task will be, I shall give you a single hint: Be sure to study the properties of prisms and the bending and refracting of light carefully, as well as rotation and levitating spells. You will need both to help you achieve the desired placing of the diamonds and open the door.

Good luck,

Headmaster 

Albus Dumbledore

Ginny finished reading the note silently and looked up at Draco, who had been standing quietly, waiting for her to finish. " How are we supposed to do this? Do you know how many diamonds there are in this room? The combinations of placing and rotation are enormous!"

Ginny could hardly believe it. This was only their first task, and she was already beginning to think they were fated to fail. _So much for starting out easy._

" I know," Draco murmured, a thoughtful look plastered across his handsome face. He took a deep breath. " It just means we'll just have to work harder to figure it out." 

Ginny's jaw dropped. How could he be so optimistic? The one time she would have went right along with his life-is-horrible attitude, he does an about face and decides they can accomplish the impossible after all. " How are we supposed to do that?" she asked him, not bothering to hide her skepticism. 

" I'm not sure." He grinned ruefully. " We'll figure something out though."

" I hope your right. I _so _do not want to get put out of this competition during our first assignment."

" Don't worry. We won't be."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. " And you know this because?"

Draco's smile widened confidently. " _I'm_ your partner, aren't I?"

*************************

A/N: Yes, I'm aware that this chapter is rather short compared to the others, but I just felt as though this was a good place to end it. So, can Draco and Ginny accomplish the "impossible" task? You'll have to find out next chapter, hehe. And before anyone asks, because I'm not sure everyone will get this, I used the mirror kind of how it was used in PS/SS. As a kind of gateway. I had Draco and Ginny see the chair and the note when they stood together in front of the mirror and then had them appear, like the stone did with Harry. And the part about bending and refracting rays and prisms might not be completely accurate, I'm using what I remember from the science class I had. Anyway, I won't get into so much detail in the next chapter that it sounds completely unreal and I have no idea what I'm talking about, lol. I'll probably just generalize more. Okay, that's about it, let me know what you think in a review!


	16. Figuring it Out

Chapter 16: Figuring it Out

It was some time later that Ginny returned to the Common room where an anxious Hermione was waiting for her. As soon as Ginny walked into the room she found herself being walked into a corner and standing while Hermione's measuring gaze seemed to run right through her. 

Finally, Hermione gave a slight nod, satisfied. "It's okay then." Without another word, the seventh year turned to go but Ginny grabbed her arm.

"_What's _okay?" 

"You and Malfoy. I wanted to make sure that you would be able to work together without taking each other's heads off." She smiled slightly at Ginny's inquiring look. "And you can."

Ginny stared, open mouthed. "You could tell that just by looking at me?"

Hermione's grin widened, and she patted Ginny on the arm. "I know you better than you think."

Ginny couldn't think of anything intelligent to say to that. "Yeah right," came to mind, but that would be rude, and besides, after what she'd just done, Hermione had to know _something._

The seventh year didn't act at all put out by Ginny's lack of answer. "I'm going to bed now," she said with a yawn, "you probably should too."

Ginny nodded at the typical Hermione remark and relaxed, following after her up the stairs, her mind already back on the challenge. She was only about halfway up when Hermione came bounding back down, smiling sheepishly. "Forgot my book," she said by way of explanation. 

Ginny shook her head and grinned, continuing on to her room. 

At the bottom of the stairs, Hermione turned around and pointed her wand at Ginny's retreating figure, softly chanting the words of a spell. "Just in case," she told herself softly, "just in case." 

__

******************************

The month passed quickly, far more quickly than either Draco _or _Ginny had expected. Their first challenge kept them busy almost constantly, and the added load of their regular homework made them fall into bed late each night, completely worn out, only to have to wake early in the morning and start the whole routine over. It was enough to drive anyone crazy, but Draco and Ginny managed to keep going, constantly turning to each other for motivation. 

When one of them started feeling depressed and frustrated, the other would be there to cheer them up and get them back into the game.

As the days passed, they spent more and more time together doing research and homework, and the new comradeship between them made even these long hours spent together in silence comfortable.

While their friendship and mutual respect for one another progressed, their budding romance did not. They still liked each other of course, but when Draco discovered that Ginny might just not be ready to take their relationship to the next level yet, he decided not to press it. The few reserves he himself had also helped the idea. No matter how much he liked the girl, there was always a part of him whispering that their relationship could never be. 

Draco and Ginny spent most of their waking hours in the library. Even with the constant research and brainstorming, it was a long time before they eventually made the discovery that would help complete their challenge.

It was yet another cold, dreary day, the sky overcast and there was a slight fog creeping over the Grounds. Not completely unheard of for October. Draco and Ginny were sitting in the library, slowly and methodically skimming through page after page of scientific based textbooks, still trying to discover exactly how to predict which way the rainbows would shine on the walls when a certain diamond was turned a certain way. They had already learned every spell on levitation and rotation by heart, as well as some less common spells for freezing objects or parts of objects for a specific amount of time. They had also tried to complete the challenge the practical way, just moving the diamonds around by hand at different times of the day to see if they would cast the needed star shaped rainbow. It was after that had failed that they hit the books. And they were still at it even now.

"Tick, tick tick…" The soft sound of the library clock seemed magnified to Ginny's ears after sitting for so long in the otherwise complete silence. Irritated, she drew her eyes away from the open library book on the table in front of her and threw a dark glance in the direction of the clock. " Shut up." She told it, just loud enough to be heard by Draco but without attracting too much attention. 

To her surprise, the ticking seemed to hesitate, then stop, and the two small circles carved into the clocks design suddenly opened, casting an indignant look towards Ginny. "Well! I never…" it told her haughtily before closing its eyes again and ignoring her. 

But the ticking stopped.

Ginny bit her lip at the chastisement, but she couldn't help grinning. When she turned to Draco to see if he had been paying attention, his eyes were also laughing at her. It was probably the most interesting thing that had happened all day. 

Ginny turned back to her book, but with chagrin she realized she really didn't feel like studying anymore.

"Draco, I can't take anymore today. Let's take a break, okay?" she asked him pleadingly. If she had to look at one more paragraph about light she thought she'd faint with terror. 

"No," Draco disagreed calmly, his eyes never leaving the book he had turned back to after the clock incident. "You know how much work we have to do, and we only have until this Monday to complete our challenge. That's three days, Gin. Today, tomorrow, and Sunday, and that's it. We've got to concentrate."

"I can't!" Ginny exclaimed exasperatedly, slamming the cover of her book closed. Why couldn't he understand? "If I have to look at one more book on the principles of light, I'm going to throw up!" 

Draco slowly raised his eyes from the book, a sigh on his lips. "Fine," he told her. " If you feel that strongly about it, you can take a break. You have my permission."

"Gee, thanks," Ginny replied sarcastically, an overly sweet smile on her face. As if she _needed _his permission. She started to walk towards the exit when she noticed that Draco was still sitting at the table where she had left him, the book now moved to his lap. "Aren't you coming?"

"I said _you _could take a break. _I'm _going to stay here and study. In fact, if it's the sight of books you hate so much, why don't you go on back to the Rainbow Room and try your hand? Maybe you'll get lucky and actually place them in the right spot." His gaze was inquiring and a bit hopeful.

And Ginny could have spit on him for it. Here he was, the good little student, determined to finish his homework in time and she was begging off. Well, if making her feel guilty was what Draco had intended to do in order to get her to do something useful, it worked. 

"Alright, I'll go. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Draco finally looked up from his book, his cloudy gray eyes raised to meet hers. A huge grin forming on his face, Draco winked at her, his formerly somber mood disappearing. 

Ginny rolled her eyes, wondering why she allowed herself to be talked into these things, but delighted none the less at the wink he had given her. She had thought she was in love with him before, but over the last month she had realized she didn't know what love was. When Draco had respected her decision to keep their relationship where it was and not push her, her respect for him had increased tremendously. And the way he was so nice to her now made her heart leap every time she thought about it. He was definitely growing on her, that was for sure.

********************

When she finally made it back into the Rainbow Room, as they had nicknamed it, she didn't immediately fulfill her promise to Draco and start working on the diamonds. Instead, she allowed herself to wonder over to stand in front of the mirror. 

And there he was, standing beside her as he always was, except this time Draco had his arm wrapped snugly around her waist and he was holding her tight, a happy smile on his face. And she was smiling too. There was more happiness radiated in this one reflection than she had ever seen in Draco, or could remember ever feeling herself. It was mesmerizing.

For the thousandth time, she found herself wondering just what kind of mirror this was, to reflect something that wasn't there, nor had ever been there. Magical, obviously, but other than that, Ginny had no idea. 

She had often gazed into it before, trying to figure out how it worked, but no explanation had ever presented itself. Not even Draco was certain how it worked. 

The most he could do was read the inscription that was carved delicately around the top. _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi._

Whatever that meant. Ginny shivered, remembering the look on Draco's face when he had read it. He had stiffened and looked troubled, but when Ginny had asked him what was wrong he had denied anything being amiss and dropped the subject. He had even refused to tell her what the words meant. 

__

It'll probably remain a mystery forever.

With a sigh, she bent herself to the miserable task of arranging and rearranging the sparkling rocks in different patterns. Maybe Draco was right. Maybe she would get lucky. 

But it quickly became apparent that there just wasn't enough sunlight at all to do anything. With the sky so cloudy, very little light was coming in through the windows to make the rainbows. She had no chance of opening the secret door today. 

No, that wasn't true. Maybe she could use her wand.

She wasn't sure if that would be enough light, but she decided to try it anyway. Backing up as far as she could against the windows, she whispered the spell to make her wand light up and then turned it towards the hanging diamonds. 

Nothing.

"Darn it!" she muttered forcefully, stamping her foot in frustration. She had been so sure that it would work, or maybe just so hopeful. 

Whatever the case, she had just whirled around to face the mirror, wand in hand and determined to focus her stormy glare on something when she heard the noise. A soft grating sound was coming from behind her. 

At first she thought it must be Draco coming in through the door, but when she heard no movement or words being spoken, she looked over her shoulder curiously. 

And gaped in surprise. 

There on the wall behind her was a perfect star, the rainbow colors splashed over the wall to form it's six points in a fantastic display. And in the center of the star, a small door no bigger than a library book had opened up. Ginny was speechless. 

How had it happened? She hadn't even been facing the diamonds with her wand. She had been turned towards the mirror. 

Wait, that was it. _The mirror_.

It all made sense now. When she had turned and looked into the mirror, her wand had still been lit up. Somehow, in it's unintelligible way of doing things, when the light had been shined into the mirror, it had made the rainbows appear in just the right place, at just the right time. Almost the same way as with the chair and the note. All that she and Draco had done was look into the mirror and it had appeared when they'd needed it. This time, Ginny had simply shined a light in it and what she had been looking for happened.

Absolutely amazing. 

"I have got to have one of these at home," she joked out loud. 

"One of what?"

Draco's head poked suddenly through the doorway, his blond hair falling across his forehead and giving him just the right "tough boy" look to make Ginny's heart do somersaults when she observed him. 

"Hey, wait a minute! How'd you do it?"

Draco had finally gotten far enough through the doorway to observe what had happened. "I'm impressed," he told her, a low whistle of amazement escaping him as he climbed the rest of the way out. There was such a look of appreciation on his face that Ginny couldn't help but smile proudly, even though she knew she hadn't really done anything except by accident.

Catching her look, Draco felt his eyebrows rise automatically. "Guess I don't have to drag you back down to the library for more studying, do I?" he remarked ironically. 

"Guess not," Ginny replied good-naturedly. " It looks like I've just solved our problem."

Without waiting to see what he would say, she walked over to wall where the new door was, the star fading as she turned the light on her wand out. Reaching carefully inside the wall, her hand closed over the only thing inside. 

A small gold coin.

Draco had followed her over and watched as she held the coin up to her face, examining it closely. There seemed to be nothing significant about it. No markings or inscriptions at all. After a moment, she handed it to Draco, who stuck it carefully in the inside pocket of his robe. 

"Don't lose it," Ginny warned, her voice teasing but serious at the same time. Who knew what they would have to do to get another one?

"Yes, ma'am," Draco mocked, deciding to get her back for the time when she had referred to him as "Sir". 

Ginny obviously recalled what he was doing, and blushed slightly. So maybe she had been a _little _over enthusiastic. 

"Is that a blush I see, Weasley?" he teased. " It's been a while since you did that, I forgot how pretty it was on you."

This remark, of course, caused Ginny to blush all the more. She looked away embarrassed, but Draco just laughed.

"Come on, let's take one last good look at this place and get out of here. We've got some celebrating to do."

Ginny's eyes brightened at the idea, and she nodded eagerly. "Yes, we do."

"Starting with putting all those books we got out in the library back up."

If looks could kill, Draco would have been six feet under in the two seconds it took for him to reach down and take her hand in his, raising it gently to his lips.

"Just kidding." He kissed the back of her hand gently, and Ginny shivered at the sensation. His touch had suddenly become like magic. 

__

Stop it, she ordered herself firmly. It just wouldn't work. She couldn't allow herself to get any more involved with him than she already was. It couldn't work. No matter how much she wished it were otherwise. Maybe she ought to break off the entire thing for good. 

The thought had been weighing in her mind for most of the month now, constantly demanding her attention. Ever since the day on the ladder when she had realized just how scared she really was of committing herself to someone, the fear had grown inside her. She loved the way Draco was acting towards her now, so sweet and considerate, but what if he suddenly decided he wanted more and she couldn't handle it? The thought was eating away at her. 

Not only that, but if she did decide to commit herself to him and make their relationship public, what would the rest of the school think? What would her parents think? Could she really do that to them? Should she even risk it when she still didn't know exactly where Draco stood and whether it would even work at all?

Ginny wasn't sure, and the uncertainty plagued her. 

Which was why when she saw Draco's eyes darken and she knew he was about to kiss her, she pulled away abruptly and headed towards the door. 

"Let's get out of here."

******************

Draco stood, staring at the small door that Ginny had disappeared through silently. She had pulled away from him. Why? Hadn't she wanted him to kiss her? 

He had thought, the way she had looked at him that they were finally starting to get somewhere. Obviously he was wrong. When she had walked away, uncertainty was written all over her face, as easily read as the books they had been pouring over for weeks.

Had he done something wrong? The thought irritated him, but try as he might, he couldn't think what.

__

Maybe it just wasn't meant to happen , he thought as he followed Ginny out the door and down the ladder. _We're too different. We should have known from the first that it could never work out. Besides, she doesn't even trust me. The unsure look on her face proved that._

But what had he expected? He didn't exactly trust her as much as he should either. 

However slightly, or unconsciously, they were both holding back, and nothing more could happen until that invisible barrier was removed. 

They reached the Quidditch shed and Draco put up the ladder, returning to stand silently beside Ginny. Neither of them wanted to return to the castle just yet, but they didn't really know what to say either. For the first time in weeks, the silence was tense and awkward.

After a few moments of quiet, Draco spoke up. "Look, we both need a break, let's just head back to our own common rooms and relax for a while or something, okay?" he asked, running a hand agitatedly through his hair. What he was really saying was " Let's split up so we both have a chance to think things through".

And Ginny couldn't have agreed more. There was a lot to think about. 

They walked back to the castle together, Draco leaving her at the steps leading up to the Gryffindor tower and making his own way down towards the dungeons. 

He didn't turn into the Slytherin common room though; he walked right past it and on down the corridor. After about a dozen feet or so he came to another door. He took this one, opening and closing it silently behind him as he glanced around the room. 

Good, there was no one else there. 

This room was almost like his own secret hide-away. Very few people knew of it's existence, including Professor Snape, and Blaise Zabini, one of Draco's few respected peers, if not friends. 

Draco used it more than either of them. 

As he set down in the single chair by the fireplace, he fingered the necklace idly, his thoughts inevitably turning in that direction, though he had originally come there to think about Ginny. It had been over a month since he'd last heard from the mysterious spirit of Salazar Slytherin, and when he had time to think about it, Slytherin's continued silence worried him. It was almost like the calm before the storm. 

The phantom's last words kept playing over and over in his head as he sat watching the flames leap absently. 

__

And Draco…before you decide to refuse me, think hard and carefully. Your very happiness may depend on it. Besides, being my apprentice might not be such a bad position after all.

It was almost a threat, those last words of his, and as he sat there in that chair, Draco couldn't help but wonder what it meant. 

__

Your very happiness may depend on it. That was the phrase that struck him the most. _His happiness. _But when was he ever happy? 

Okay, so here lately he felt a lot better, was in more of a lighter mood when he was around Ginny-

__

Ginny.

But Salazar couldn't possibly mean her, could he? Draco tensed at the thought, the muscles in his jaw twitching uncontrollably. No, he couldn't possibly…

But you could never be too sure. 

Decided, Draco jumped from his chair and raced out of the room, back to Gryffindor Tower. Ginny would already be inside of course, but maybe if he pounded on the door hard enough someone would hear him and open it. 

His persistence paid off, because after hammering on the portrait of the fat lady for several minutes, during which he suffered a constant stream of insults that he pointedly ignored, the door finally swung open and the irritated face of Hermione Granger peered out at him from beneath a mound of chestnut hair.

" Malfoy?" she gaped.

" Is Gin-I mean, is Weasley in there?" he asked anxiously.

" Which one?" Hermione replied interestedly, obviously catching his slip of tongue.

"Ginny."

Hermione looked at him suspiciously. " What do you want to know for?" 

"Just tell me if she's in there or not, Granger." Draco was starting to get impatient. Couldn't she see how important this was?

Apparently, Hermione did, and though she was still suspicious, she answered him. " Yes, she came in not very long ago, from studying with you, I thought. Weren't you just with her?"

Draco nodded, too relieved to give much of an answer. "Thanks, Granger," he muttered without realizing it as he turned away from the door.

Hermione's jaw dropped in surprise before she recovered enough to say softly to his retreating figure as he descended the stairs, " You're welcome."

******************************

A/N: A little longer, but still not as long as they usually are. *cringes* Oh well, it was another good place to stop. So what's going to happen now that their relationship seems to have taken a sudden turn for the worst? Will they ever get back together? And what about the second challenge that's coming up? Well, I might not give you all the answers in the next chapter, but you'll definitely get to find out more than you know now, lol. Hope you liked this one, even if it was shorter. Let me know what you think in a review!


	17. The Riviving Potion and the Disappearanc...

Chapter 17: The Reviving Potion and the Disappearance

__

Monday seemed to take forever to come. Often over the weekend, Draco and Ginny would pass each other in the hall, but neither spoke to the other, opting to look away and hurry quickly past instead. This time, it wasn't because they were trying to keep up appearances either. 

A certain uncomfortable atmosphere had descended on them since the last time they had spoke out by the Quidditch shed. Both suddenly found themselves more confused and agitated than they had ever thought possible. It didn't help that they knew exactly what caused it too.

But when Monday morning arrived, they both knew they had to do _something. _

And Draco decided he would rather make the first move as not. When Ginny entered the Great Hall for breakfast accompanied as usual by her brother and his friends, Draco was waiting to meet her.

"Weasley," he said, his tone calm and almost irritatingly smooth, with no sign of the unspoken strain between them visible on his face. 

"Malfoy," Ginny greeted in almost the same voice but a bit less certain than Draco. 

"I need to talk to you. In private," he added, glancing pointedly towards the other three who weren't making even the slightest effort to conceal the fact that they were eaves dropping.

"Hey, Malfoy, anything you say to my sister you can say in front of us," Ron told Draco with a glare, obviously not wanting to leave his little sister alone with him. "Right, Gin?"

Ginny grimaced at being forced to chose between the comfort of her brother's protectiveness or being alone with Draco, although she knew they really did need to talk. 

As she glanced up, Draco caught her eye and she knew he could tell what she was thinking. She knew he could, because she could read just as well the expression in his eyes that stated "now", as firmly and decisively as if he had actually spoken. 

Ginny looked over at Ron. "Actually, I think I'd better talk to Dr- Malfoy alone." Seeing Ron's look of surprise turning quickly to anger, she added hastily. "We're not supposed to talk about our challenge with other people, you know that."

Ginny held her breath as Ron considered. "Alright," he finally breathed, half sighing. "If that's all it's about."

He kept his gaze fastened on Draco the whole time he said the words, an unspoken threat hanging in the air between them. Hermione finally had to jerk on his arm to get him to move on towards the Gryffindor table. 

Harry followed, casting an anxious glance back at Ginny as he did so. 

__

I'll be fine, she mouthed, wondering if he would get the message. She wasn't sure if he did or if he decided that it really wasn't any of his business, but he turned around and walked off all the same.

Draco watched this exchange through narrowed eyes. Maybe that was what was wrong with Ginny. Maybe Potter had a previous claim on her affections. He didn't want to admit it, but the very thought made him feel sick with jealousy. 

When he looked back at Ginny, it was obvious she had seen the effect Potter's last action had had on him. And she thought it was funny. 

Great, this was getting better all the time. He quickly calmed his anger and smoothed out his expression, determined to play it cool. Yeah, right.

As soon as they had left the Hall for the privacy and relative quiet of the corridor Ginny burst out laughing, a small smirk teasing the corners of her mouth. 

As much as he wished they wouldn't, Draco automatically found his eyes drawn there. But he was just as quickly forced to jerk his gaze back upwards to her eyes as she proceeded to tease him mercilessly.

"You were jealous, weren't you?" Her voice held something other than laughter, something that sounded vaguely like disbelief. As though she couldn't imagine his being jealous of _anyone_.

Which was exactly what Draco would have liked her to think. Too bad there was no way in hell that he could deny it.

He did make a valiant effort though. "I was not." His voice came out stiff, unnatural. 

This time, Ginny didn't bother to contradict him; she just grinned and shrugged her shoulders as though to say "Okay, Draco, whatever".

After this, silence set in and the mood quickly became more sober. They couldn't meet each other's eyes, and after a tense five minutes, Ginny finally regained her voice enough to ask what it was he had wanted to talk to her about.

"I think you know what I wanted."

Ginny's breath caught in her throat. She just knew he wanted to talk about what had happened in the Rainbow Room. She didn't know what she would try to say to defend herself if he did. ' Sorry Draco, the reason I pushed you away after that _wonderful _kiss_- _and it had been wonderful, she was not fool enough the deny that-was that I was scared of becoming too attached to someone so quickly. I was _scared._' 

He'd probably think her the biggest coward on the face of the planet.

But Draco surprised her. He immediately began talking about who would present the token they had earned to Dumbledore. It seemed he had decided not to mention the kiss. Either that or he had decided to forget it completely. Ginny wasn't sure she liked this last option. It certainly wasn't something she would be forgetting anytime soon. 

Trying not to look too relieved at his choice of topic, Ginny entered into the conversation a little too enthusiastically, smiling brightly and acting more excited about their accomplishment than she really felt. If Draco noticed, he said nothing, and by the time they had walked back into the Hall together it had been decided that they would walk up to Dumbledore together, but that Ginny would hand him the token, as Draco didn't feel at all inclined to get so close to the Headmaster. 

So that was what they did. After breakfast, they joined the line to present proof of their accomplishments. 

Ginny was surprised to see that it was much shorter than she had been expecting. In fact, it looked almost shorter by half than the line to receive their challenges had been. 

" Lots of people didn't make it," she observed in a low voice.

" Lots of people didn't get lucky and get their token by chance either."

Ginny glanced up at him hastily, her face flushing slightly at the remark. Was he joking or had that really been an insult? Either way, her feelings were hurt. 

He was right of course. She had discovered the secret by accident. But what would he have done if she hadn't? _He _wouldn't have figured it out in time either. The thought that he would try to downplay her part in their accomplishment now, after almost praising her before, made her angry. 

Her muscles tensed, and no matter what other comments he made on the way to the Headmaster she refused to answer.

When Draco saw the effect his ill-timed and undeserved words had on Ginny he immediately felt a twinge of regret. But it was too late to take them back now. 

He tried to ease her anger by making funny little comments on the other students, or making fun of the professors, but nothing worked. She remained as angry and silent as she had been to start with. Draco could almost see the storm cloud hovering over her head.

With a sigh, he gave up the attempt at cheerfulness and remained broodingly silent as they reached the head of the line. Why should he try to make up for his comment anyway? It was true, wasn't it? 

Dumbledore stood expectantly in front of them, his hand outstretched, waiting for their token. But Ginny's mind seemed to be elsewhere, and Draco had to give her a good nudge with his elbow before she realized where they were. 

Shooting Draco a death glare, she handed over the hard-earned token. 

Dumbledore took it with a slight smile, nodding his approval. "Well done, both of you. Here is your next task, I urge you to begin work on it immediately." Without further delay Ginny was handed another slip of paper, which she immediately put into her pocket as she walked away, not bothering to read it first. She would look at it later.

She hadn't counted on Draco actually following her all the way up the stairs to the entrance to the Gryffindor common room when she didn't heed his calls to stop.

Now, she was forced to. She had no doubts whatsoever that he wouldn't hesitate to walk through the portrait hole after her. 

"What do you want?" she asked tiredly. All she wanted to do was get her books and go to class. She didn't know if she could take anymore of Draco's suddenly superior attitude and nasty remarks. And to think, she had actually _liked _him. Correction: _like _him, a little voice in the back of her mind screamed aggravatingly. She forced it to be quiet.

" I want to see our challenge." Draco's tone was emotionless, and from the shadow over his face Ginny knew he was being careful to conceal any of his feelings from her. It was like they had suddenly gone back to the way it used to be, back when they hated each other. 

Ginny felt a pang inside her chest. She hadn't wanted this; it wasn't supposed to happen this way. But what could she do? The bond that had once been forming so quickly and securely between them was failing, and she felt powerless to stop it. 

"We can look at it later." 

They were both too stubborn, that was the problem. She wouldn't give in first, and neither would he.

"I would like to see it now please. You might not be very concerned about getting the job done in time, but I am." 

Ginny's eyes narrowed at his hard tone. She couldn't even find it within herself to give him credit for saying please. He hadn't really meant it; it had been a formality. 

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper. Anything to get him gone; without a word she handed it over.

This time, Draco didn't even bother to say thank you. He just took the piece of paper and read it out loud. After she had clearly told him she didn't want to hear what it said just then.

But despite herself, as Draco read, she found she was captivated. This task seemed even harder than the last, but she also thought it sounded more interesting.

They were supposed to look up the ingredients to a certain healing potion, but were not given the name. All they were told were it's least common properties. Yes, least common, because then it would take more effort on their part to figure out exactly what it was. Then, when they knew the ingredients, they were supposed to find them and make the potion. All of them, they were assured, could be found somewhere around the castle. 

"Sounds…interesting," Ginny voiced after Draco had finished. 

His cold gray eyes flashed up at her. " Yes, it does." 

That was it. No 'goodbye', no 'see you tomorrow'; nothing. He turned and walked back the way he had come, ignoring her completely. 

And some part of her wondered whether she hadn't deserved it, just a little.

******************************

The next couple of weeks were spent in an unhappy state of studying for both of them. The easy comfort they had previously had vanished to be replaced with a strained silence that seemed always a part of them these days. 

How fervently Ginny wished it could have been different, that she had said or acted differently at times so that things would not be the way they were now. She had no way of knowing if Draco felt the same way, but for the sake of having the comfort of not being alone in her misery she hoped so.

As much as she hated to admit it, she missed him. The soft way he had looked at her, and the expression his eyes had held when he smiled. He was so charming when he wanted to be. 

Unfortunately, Ginny would probably not be on the receiving end of those grins anytime soon. Or later. 

In fact, after their "unspoken argument" Ginny was irked to see him hanging around more and more with Pansy. She knew they had been considered as a couple for a while, but she hadn't even so much as seen him having a civil conversation with the girl here lately, let alone anything to make her remotely suspicious. 

Now she saw them together all the time. If she was as vain as Draco seemed to be, she would probably have immediately assumed he was doing it to make her mad. But even after everything, Ginny couldn't quite bring herself to hope that might be the reason. She had her suspicions, but that was all she had. And there was no way she was going to confront him with it. 

She tried to convince herself that she didn't care, and at first she thought she had succeeded. But the more she saw them together, the madder she got, and in a sudden revelation she realized that this must have been how Draco felt when Harry had acted concerned for her. Of course, in that case, _she _hadn't been deliberately provoking _him._

Somehow, despite all this, they actually did manage to find the potion they were looking for. And it turned out that even it's _most _common properties weren't that common.

The Rehabilitation and Life Giving Potion, more commonly known as the Reviving Potion, was one that neither of them had ever even heard of to begin with. According to the book they found on it, it's most common use was to revive someone who had been stunned or knocked unconscious. Then, as their note had told them, it was also used to make small animals sleep for a certain amount of time depending on its specific size and body weight and to make fairies unable to fly. It could also be used to "coat" emblems of power, whatever that meant.

" In other words, it's completely useless," Draco remarked, a hint of irony in his voice. It had taken them two weeks to locate a potion that did nothing except minute things they already had spells for. And they were quicker.

He was so disgusted; he almost slammed the book closed without reading the rest of the paragraph once he had gotten the necessary list of ingredients.

Ginny stopped him with a hand. " Wait. Let's go ahead and read the rest of it, just in case. 

Rolling his eyes, Draco conceded, lowering his head to read the remaining sentences. That was when they found out that the potion did something more interesting than they had thought. The very last paragraph stated this particular use almost reluctantly, as though the author hadn't really wanted anyone to find out about it.

__

The Reviving Potion also possesses one unique property that no other has. It's more like a side-effect really, something that was not intended as a result but that has occurred anyway. Very few know of this secret property, but I felt that as a writer of truth I must reveal my information with my readers. If taken under the right circumstances, namely, the power of will, the Reviving Potion gives it's drinker the ability to walk through death. This is particularly useful to fortune-tellers or diviners, but unless you are properly trained for such a journey, it can, and most likely will, end in disaster. Many enthusiastic overachievers have ended up lost in death as a result of this potion, unable to return to life, but equally unable to die. They are forced to wonder forever through this void until someone finds them and lets them out ( specific instructions not available, this has never been done before), or until someone else enters this world between worlds and releases them by death. 

Ginny's eyes had grown as wide as saucers during the reading of this paragraph, and when she finished she felt a chill run down her spine. A potion that gave the drinker the ability to walk through death; it was unbelievable.

Draco didn't seem to have the same problem coming to terms with the information the book had revealed, and when he closed the cover, there was nothing more than an expression of boredom on his face. 

"Can we look for these ingredients now?"

Ginny stared at him, awed in spite of herself. Was that all he had to say? Didn't he feel the importance of the discovery they had made?

"What about that last property? Isn't it incredible?" she asked him.

"No."

Apparently not.

"Why?" Ginny demanded crossly.

Draco sent her a scathing look, and Ginny knew that she was being silently warned to drop the subject. "It's not real. It was some made up rumor that spread and when this guy heard it he probably insisted on taking it as truth. No one can walk through death." 

And that was the end of the subject. Ginny lifted her head high and walked out of the library in front of him. Though she badly wanted to, she refused to get into another argument with him.

As Draco followed her out the door, his thoughts had taken a decidedly different track. He was thinking back to that paragraph they had read. Though he had denied it, it had interested him extremely, but not for the reasons Ginny would have thought it should. No, it interested him because he was comparing it to another enchantment, one that seemed to be very similar.

The Soul Keeper. What if it was kind of like this in-between world, but the people in it were actually just spirits. Actually, there was only one person, he reminded himself. Slytherin. He was trapped there, obviously, but what if, like with the in-between world, there was a way to release him? Wouldn't that be better for everyone? His soul could travel onto the fate in the underworld that it deserved, and the necklace that still hung around Draco's neck would become nothing more than an ordinary, though old, pendant.

What if the way to ease his troubles was easier than he thought? 

Draco had never considered it in this light, but he realized that it was something he would have to think on. If he did find a way to release Salazar, something even worse could possibly happen. Draco wasn't inclined to trust an idea that so very closely resembled the one that Slytherin had wanted him to participate in anyway. Freeing him.

But still, maybe there was something in this after all. Draco would have to do some more research. But not now; later, on his own. 

The last thing he wanted was to make Ginny suspicious. She would probably come waltzing in, insisting on helping him no matter how much Draco told her he didn't need it. She'd done it before, hadn't she? 

And that was when they had begun to get close. Draco didn't want to go through that again. He didn't think he could bear it if she was snatched away from him again, by her own will at that. Ever since that day, when he thought of what she had done and how she might actually have something going on with Potter his nerves had tingled and he felt as though he could have strangled her. Or Potter. Or better yet, both of them. 

That was why he had brought in Pansy. Ginny's suspicions were right; it had been precisely Draco's objective to make her jealous. Unfortunately for him, if Ginny noticed, she wasn't talking, and so far had made no move to dissuade him from it. 

Which was pretty horrible, as far as Draco was concerned, because it meant he was putting up with Pansy for nothing. He had dropped her like a hot pan after Ginny had come along, refusing to go out with her and hardly speaking with her at all. He hadn't wanted to.

Now, with what Pansy considered as a revival of his interest, she was convinced that he was all hers again and she was being as insufferable as always. Hanging all over him, mooning ridiculously, and just flat out irritating him.

And for what? Nothing.

Draco considered dropping her again, telling her it was over. Sure, she would mope and pout for a while, but it would work out better in the end for him. He didn't think he could take it anymore. Especially not while he had so much more on his mind now.

__

Yes, I think I'll do it. And with a half-smirk, half-relieved grin, he headed back to his common room to tell Pansy the good-bad news.

*****************************

Disagreements and all, the two partners began work on finding the ingredients as soon as possible. Most of them, they were relieved to find, were in relatively normal places: the greenhouses, the ingredients room, Snape's office ( they had only gotten those after Ginny was able to convince Harry to let her use his invisibility cloak to sneak in, she refused to steal it from him again. When he hadn't even asked any questions she had felt even more guilty for having done it before.), and the Grounds. 

The remaining three were a bit harder to come by. The fly wings and lizard tail, though hard to get for the fact that they actually had to catch the animals, proved to be easier than the last ingredient. Carconigen Daludolphe, a flowering plant that could only be found on certain days of the year, in certain places, and at certain times of day.

This, they soon discovered, must obviously have been the real task assigned to them. It made all the rest of what they had done look easy. 

Day after day they poured through star charts, trying to fix the exact day and time with the little information the book had given them, as well as searching through all the plant books they could get there hands on to discover exactly where the plant grew. 

The end result of their research told them that the needed day would arrive just in time for them to hand in their assignment. If they didn't manage to find it the night of the 14th of November, they were done for. The challenge was supposed to be handed in the 15th. That meant they had exactly one night to find the last ingredient and prepare the potion. 

It was a good thing that all you had to do was mix in the ingredients while the potion boiled. Some substances would have had to be prepared days in advance. Still, they would be hard pressed for time. 

Luckily, they had been given two weeks longer for this challenge than the previous, on account of the break for Christmas. It was decided to make the deadline the day before the holidays so that people would not have to work on their projects in parts, before and then after Christmas. 

When the day finally came, Draco and Ginny already had everything else they needed ready. The other ingredients were lying on a worktable together, and Draco's caldron (they had decided to use his because it was clearly better made) stood ready beside them. 

All they were missing was the Carconigen Daludolphe. And if all went well, they would soon have it. 

Ironically, they had discovered that it grew on only one place, the south side of boulders. Which meant there was only one place to look for it, the small boulder by the lake that Draco called his own. 

And it was also the one place that Ginny had never wanted to go back to again.

But when they met in front of the castle, she knew she had no choice. There was a look of determination in Draco's eye, and she became absolutely resolved on matching it with her own. 

No words were exchanged, but Draco led the way and Ginny followed him silently. When they got to the boulder, Ginny immediately began searching. The action had more to do with staying busy and doing something so that she wouldn't be so nervous than it did with actually knowing it was time. From their calculations, the plant shouldn't even be visible for another five minutes. But something was making her anxious. And it wasn't just from being alone outside with Draco that brought the feeling on. It was…something else. 

A feeling she couldn't place, but that affected her all the same. Something was going to happen.

Draco sensed Ginny's apprehension, but took no share in it. What was there to be worried about? The moon would rise to just the right spot, they would find the flower, and then they would get out of here. What could be so hard about that? 

He wondered whether it was something else bothering her, and for a moment he almost decided to ask her. But no, he held himself back. He'd been playing the disinterested party this long; he could keep it up until she caved first. That was what all this pretending was about anyway wasn't it? Who would win the war of wills and who would break down first? Well if nothing else, Draco intended to win. 

Which meant that it was absolutely necessary to keep up the 'I don't care' charade for as long as it took. And that's all it was. A charade. He realized that now. 

The whole month he'd been torturing himself, trying to insist that he had firmly stamped out any feeling other than dislike that he might have had for the youngest Weasley, but in the end, he had fallen pray to common sense. If she was so firmly erased from his mind and out of his system, why did he think about her constantly? 

He looked down at his watch then, noting with a slight smile that the time had come. Now he could find that plant.

And look, there it was. He reached down and plucked it from the side of the boulder in front of him. _Almost too easy, _he decided with a smile. Now it was time to get Ginny and get out of here.

He walked confidently around the boulder, glad that everything was going smoothly. That was when he noticed it. 

Ginny wasn't there. 

__

Well, maybe she's walked farther around, he reasoned rationally. 

But after making five more trips around the boulder, each time calling Ginny's name a little louder than before. 

He was finally forced to admit that she just wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere. 

And that was when Draco knew that something was very, _very _wrong.

__

***************************** 

A/N: Hah, here's a longer chapter. This one was also pretty fun to write, so I hope you enjoy it. And don't worry; while the story is obviously getting closer to the climax, it's still likes quite a bit from being over. A chapter with Malfoy Manor will most likely be next, though I'm not completely sure about that. What I do know, however, is that next chapter we will discover what happened to Ginny and how Draco breaks the news about her disappearance.


	18. Searching

Chapter 18: Searching

Not sure what to do, but knowing he had to do something, Draco raced back towards the castle and straight to Dumbledore's office. While he had never actually been sent there before, he had long ago taken it upon himself to know it's location just in case he needed it. This was just such an incident. 

The door was open only a few moments after he had began pounding on it by Dumbledore himself. The old man was wearing a long white nightgown that reached his feet and had little bunny rabbits all over it. If the situation hadn't been so serious Draco knew he would have burst out laughing.

Instead, face grim, he poured out the details of what had happened. 

Dumbledore listened to Draco's explanation without interrupting him. The further along he got in his story, however, the graver his face became.

"We'll search for her at once," Dumbledore told him. "I'll get the teachers gathered and we'll begin immediately."

Draco let out a relieved breath. "Okay…what can I do?"

"You," Dumbledore told him with a rare show of intimidation that he rarely used on anyone except in the most dire circumstances, "Must get back and finish the potion."

"What?!!" Draco gaped. The old fool had to be joking. Did he really expect him to go off and make that potion as though nothing had happened? Ginny was missing for God's sake! 

Dumbledore took in Draco's outburst without any change in sentiment. "There is no time to waste. Go." 

Draco thought about protesting again, but decided that it wouldn't do any good. The Headmaster had made up his mind. Cursing mentally, Draco turned to go.

Before he reached the door however, something made him look back. "You've got to find her Headmaster." Even Draco was surprised at the amount of pain and feeling that half-whispered sentence held.

Dumbledore's face softened. "We will, Draco, we will."

*****************************

But they didn't. The whole time the teachers were out searching, Draco watched from the window of the deserted classroom that he and Ginny had decided to use while the potion was brewing. 

He watched, as after ten minutes of useless searching, an owl was sent to the Ministry of Magic requesting help.

And he was still watching over half an hour later when a group of Ministry officials showed up. 

The potion was just done by that time, and Draco filled the small vile with the steaming liquid and capped it. There, he had done what Dumbledore told him to do. No matter that it had served absolutely no purpose. 

He was now free of the order that held him to the room. Without a second thought he put the vile of liquid into his pocket and raced down the stairs and out of the castle, straight over to where the Headmaster stood talking to some of the officials. They didn't look happy.

"Please," Draco almost begged, his heart still racing and blood pounding at the terrifying thoughts of what could even now be happening to Ginny. " You've got to let me help."

Dumbledore's face registered compassion for him as he glanced towards the boy, now almost a man, who stood before him. But he still shook his head.

The faces of the ministry officials showed no such concern, only annoyance at having their work interrupted. 

"Get out of here, kid. This is official business," one of them told him superiorly, not even bothering to look up from his papers.

That was all it took to make Draco go from being almost as weak as a whimpering child to an imperious commander. " Don't you dare patronize me like I'm some innocent little child. I'll let you know I can have you fired before you even realize what's coming," Draco spat out disgustedly, raising his head higher so that the distant light from the school fell upon him, illuminating the silver-blonde of his hair and making his gray eyes look dangerously malicious.

The two officials looked up then. "Mr. Malfoy," stammered the one who had spoken to him before, "I had no idea…" He gulped nervously and glanced over at his companion, who looked just as nervous as he did. "Of course you can help."

That was what Draco had been waiting for, and with rigid nod, he looked over at Dumbledore, triumph in his eyes. 

He had thought the Headmaster might protest or say something to keep him from helping with the search, but the old man just sighed, a twinkle of amusement in his somber eyes. "Very well, you may help."

__

Yes! He could help. Now exactly how did he do that?

"Where have they searched?" he asked, directing his question more to the ministry officials than the Headmaster. They seemed more likely to know.

But it was Dumbledore who answered. "Everywhere on the Grounds. Wherever Miss Weasley has disappeared to, or was taken," he added before Draco could protest to Ginny's having run away, "is not on Hogwart's land. They are now preparing to widen the search."

Draco was thinking furiously, trying to determine what their best chance of finding her was. He was inclined to think that if they weren't on Hogwarts' Grounds or in the immediately surrounding area, they were too far away for a ground or air search to be useful. 

She had to have been taken using magic and force; that was the only thing Draco could think of. Ginny wouldn't have gone willingly with anyone, and the way she had disappeared was too quiet and quick for it to have been a regular kidnapping. No, there was something important, something he was missing.

Deciding that his best bet was probably to go back to where Ginny had originally disappeared and search for clues, he excused himself from the group and headed that way. There had to be _something._

And then, he had it; a wisp of an idea coming and going so quick that at first Draco couldn't catch onto it. Then his memory sharpened, and he remembered that day over a month ago when he had raced up to the Gryffindor common room to make sure Ginny was there. That time, she had been, but now it didn't look as if it would be so easy. And Draco now had a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach telling him he knew why.

__

Slytherin. He had something to do with this, Draco was positive. Never in his life had he been surer of anything as he was of that. But why? Or more importantly, how?

__

Figured it out yet? 

A voice asked. Shocked and anxious for Ginny's safety as he was, Draco had no trouble finding the energy to be angry.

"_What have you done with her?!!" _

Why, nothing. Yet. 

Draco's anger doubled at having his suspicions confirmed, and now every fiber of his being was shaking with rage. "_Bring her back!"_

Back? The voice taunted innocently. _Whatever do you mean? What would I possibly want to do that for?_

" Because if you don't, I'll…I'll," Draco was so furious he couldn't even come up with a good threat and his words were left hanging hollowly in the air.

Salazar laughed, the faint echo racing through Draco's head. _You'll do nothing, if I do not wish it._

Draco began to feel sick. He thought he knew where this was heading. He was right. 

__

See there, you can't even control your own hand. 

Draco's hand shot up into the air and held there, no matter how hard Draco tried to bring it down. He was doing it. Controlling him as if he were a puppet. Draco fought uselessly. Somehow, Slytherin had gathered enough strength to take control of his entire body now the moment he wanted to. And Draco was powerless to stop him.

Sensing this, he stopped trying to fight, focusing instead on getting as much information as possible from the opportunity. "_Where did you take Ginny?"_

If Salazar had been able to take human form Draco knew without a doubt he would have been smiling triumphantly then. 

__

I won't tell you, but if you want to know badly enough, I'm sure you can get help from an old acquaintance of yours.

Old acquaintance? What the hell was this power-mad monster onto now?

__

"Who?"

Well, for years now he's been one of my loyal supporters, ever since the necklace first fell into his hands before coming to you. I know him better as simply "servant" but you would probably recognize him as-

Draco's mind had already been working overtime. The necklace fell into his handsbefore coming to him, staunch supporter of the Dark Arts, though Draco had never realized he was playing two sides before. That could only be one person…

**__**

Father.

The word was spoken by Draco and Salazar at the same time. So this was how Ginny had been taken. Obviously kidnapping a young girl wasn't something that the trapped wizard could do alone. He had to have outside help.

Draco just wished he had thought of his father before hand. Maybe, if Lucius had really done the kidnapping, or even if some of his men had done it, there was still time…

Draco didn't waste anymore time trying to figure the rest out. There would be plenty of time for that once he was in the air. 

Hope kindling in his heart, he raced for his dorm room and his broomstick. Maybe he could get to her after all.

*******************************

Ginny watched, tears in her eyes as the search for her continued. Why couldn't they see her?!! She was right in front of them, held captive only by two large brutes that couldn't have been missed if they were camouflaged and the searchers were blind! 

Terrified of not being found, she watched as person after person walked by their hiding place, hoping against hope that someone would see her. It was of no use. The searchers walked right past them, their eyes sliding away from the spot where Ginny crouched, forcefully held there by the hands of her two captors. 

She struggled when one man walked so close that his cloak brushed her leg as he walked past, trying vainly to get a sound past her bound lips and catch his attention. 

But nothing worked. They could not see her. The spell of unseeing-ness that had been placed around them was too strong and well concealed for even the ministry officials to detect. 

At one point, she had looked up when a door had slammed; hope rising in her when she realized that it was Draco. But even that too, disappeared, when he joined the many others who simply couldn't see her. 

Ginny watched him the whole time he was in her line of sight. She was even one of the few who saw him come racing out of Hogwarts with his broomstick and then fly up into the night sky and out over the forest. 

Where was he going?

Her captors never spoke to her, didn't give her any scrap of information that might help her escape, or to at least figure out exactly who wanted her and for what. 

For the longest time, they sat in complete silence, the only movement the regular motion of tears as they slipped down Ginny's face. 

Hours passed, and a gleam of light began to appear in the eastern sky. And still they stayed. 

Finally, when the last ministry official had left, Ginny felt a tug on her arms and she allowed herself to be pulled numbly to her feet. At first, she couldn't stand; she had been sitting so long that her feet and legs had fallen asleep. Her only support came from the two hulking figures beside her, each with one hand under her arms. After a few minutes, she regained feeling and was able to walk where they led. 

She no longer resisted; it wouldn't do any good. Instead, she sank into a kind of depressed thoughtlessness, all hope lost. Mindlessly, she followed them across the piece of ground that marked the border of Hogwarts' land and on a little farther. Ginny noted absently that they were heading west, but what did it matter what direction they went?

Soon enough they stopped, and her arms were grasped even more firmly. Even in the light of day Ginny couldn't tell who the men were through the cloaks they had tightly wrapped around them. They looked at each other and nodded.

Before Ginny could comprehend what they were planning, she heard a slight popping sound, and then the ground fell out from under her.

************************** 

Two hours later, Draco arrived at the Manor. It was a spacious place, situated on a large hill with smaller, rolling hills leading off in every direction except for behind the house. That area was covered with the tall, menacing trees of the Forbidden Forest. Even here, miles away from the section of the forest at Hogwarts, Draco could see a distinct likeness in them. No, more like sense. There was an atmosphere about the forest that sank into your bones and ate away at your very soul. 

It was also the forest that Draco had been flying over for what seemed like forever. When he finally left it's dark presence behind it was with much relief and good-riddance. He had always had a dislike, almost a fear of that forest ever since his first year when he had been forced to take that stupid trip into it with Potter, Granger, and that sniveling idiot. What was his name? Oh yes, Neville. 

And why shouldn't he, after what he had seen? It wasn't every day that a unicorn blood-drinking monster jumped out at you was it? Especially when that blood-sucking monster also happened to be, at least in some sense, the evilest wizard to ever have existed. 

Well, actually, now that Draco had met Slytherin, Voldemort seemed like a fly compared to a spider. Child's play.

His reflections came to an end when he landed, the green grassy slope of the well-cultivated lawn rising up to meet him. If it wasn't for the circumstances, Draco thought it would almost have been good to be home. He had played here so often as a young child that he missed it when he was gone. 

The place itself, that is. He could never really miss the other people who lived there, for how could you miss something you didn't care about? However, now that he was here, there was _one _particular person he had a mind to see. 

"Father!" he called as he raced up the stairs and into the house. "I want to talk to you! Now!"

There was no answer, only the steady sound of a piano being played somewhere in the house. That meant his mother was practicing, as usual. 

Narcissa Malfoy was constantly doing something she liked to call "productive". Playing instruments, working in her garden, reading textbooks…and up until a few years ago she had constantly been on Draco's back to do the same. She had finally given up in desperation after he had cursed the living daylight out of his piano teacher in frustration when he was fourteen. The man had had to have his memory of the event erased, as well as the counter-curse preformed. And he had still ended up in a hospital. Even as a child, when Draco Malfoy cursed someone it was no laughing matter.

He raced towards the music room, hoping his father might be there. Heaven knew why he would be, Lucius hated Narcissa's music playing with a passion, but since he wasn't in his office Draco could think of nowhere better to look. 

He reached the room, and finding the door already partway open, stuck his head stealthily inside. Except for his mother sitting at the piano as he had expected, the room was empty.

He turned around quietly to go look somewhere else and was brought to an abrupt halt when he ran right into the powerful form of Lucius Malfoy.

***************************** 

Ginny came back to consciousness slowly, aware only of the pain in her head and the awkward position she found herself lying in. Then memory rushed back. 

"Someone is not very good at apparating," she mumbled to herself as she tried to open her eyes. Bright sunlight splashed into them and she was forced to close them again instantly. "And someone turn the light off."

"My, don't we have a sense of humor this morning," an unpleasantly cheerful voice chirped. " I'm glad you decided to wake up, I was afraid they had accidentally killed you somehow. That would have been such a waste. And much less fun than what we've got planned now."

That voice. Something about it was familiar. Ginny was sure she recognized it from somewhere.

Cracking her eyes open again, she waited until they had adjusted and tried to scan the room through her cloudy vision. 

There. In the corner…

Ginny opened her eyes wider, forcing her aching muscles to move her into a sitting position.

__

I am never _apparating again, _she told herself humorlessly as she tried to peer into the shadowy corner better. "Who's there?"

A low laugh sounded, and it was this that finally helped Ginny trace the voice. Just when she had it figured out, a small, lithe figure appeared out of the darkness, grinning like she was a cat who had just caught the prized mouse, to confirm her suspicion. 

"Pansy."

*************************

Draco jumped back into a defensive position, pushing the door open behind him and bursting into the music room, where Mrs. Malfoy immediately fell silent at the intrusion and turned the see what was happening. 

Draco's reaction was more in surprise than actual fear of his father. He had no time for fear now. Straightening immediately, he walked forward until he stood directly in front of Lucius, meeting his father's eye more boldly than he'd ever done before.

"Where is she?" He forced the question out between jaws that were clenched in anger.

"Where's who?" Lucius asked innocently, not acting the least bit surprised to see his son home a day before holidays began. "Lost one of your little girlfriends have you?"

Lucius's mocking tone only served to increase Draco's anger, and it was only with great self-control that he restrained himself from murdering his father right then and there. He could do that later, but first, he needed information.

"You know who I'm talking about, now where is she?" Draco's voice was low and dangerous, and for a split second a look of surprised shock at his son's behavior registered on Lucius's face before he could conceal it with a smirk.

" I'll admit, I do have some idea of who you might be talking about, but I didn't know…" he trailed off in thought. "Of course." Lucius chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Why, you think she's here, don't you?" Lucius eyed his son mockingly. "I thought I'd taught you better than that."

What was he talking about? Draco's heart sped up in nervous agitation. He couldn't mean…but it was possible…

Lucius watched the realization dawn in his son's eyes, and then he grinned. "Yes, I think you were certainly mislead."

As soon as his father said the words, Draco knew they must be true. He had a knack for knowing when his father was telling the truth or not, and right now, for the first time in what was probably a very long period, Draco sensed not one lie.

And it made since too. Why would Salazar send him directly to Ginny so that he would have a chance of rescuing her? If Draco had been thinking clearly before, he would have realized that it was too easy.

Well, no more mistakes. Draco took a deep, calming breath and let his anger flow out of him. He would not be able to think rationally with so much rage boiling inside him. And that was what he needed to do most. Think.

So Salazar had led him here, obviously to keep him from guessing Ginny's real destination. This was a distraction, a side trip. Completely useless. 

The question was what did he do now? Fortunately, there was only one option.

"She might not be here, but you know where she's been taken. And I want to know." Draco narrowed his eyes at his father, trying hard to appear intimidating. 

Lucius only laughed. "Why don't you ask your little friend there," he said, indicating the necklace. "Since he was _so_ helpful the first time."

Draco's fists clenched and unclenched in frustration. There had to be some way to get the information he wanted. Maybe…maybe if…But would it work?

There was only one way to find out.

Lips pressed firmly together and determination shining in his face, Draco pulled out his wand before Lucius could react and did something Lucius would never have expected.

Raising his wand arm towards the window and with barely a grimace on his otherwise stone hard face, Draco recited the spell that would send the Dark Mark shooting into the sky.

***************************

A/N: Evil cliffy huh? Yeah, well, I happen to be good at those, as most of you know. I won't tell you much about the next chapter; you'll just have to wait to find out what happens. *grins evilly* Thanks to all my reviewers, and hopefully, future reviewers in advance!


	19. Foolish Hopes?

Chapter 19: Foolish Hopes…?

"Pansy," Ginny repeated aloud, almost as though she were talking to herself. " What do you want with me?"

The older girl grinned sardonically and there was a malicious glint in her eye. "Unfortunately, you're not here by my design. Rest assured that if you were, you wouldn't have still been breathing even ten seconds after you woke up."

Yep, Ginny sensed a definite current of malevolence running across the room from where the seventh year Slytherin stood to herself. 

Why? That was what confused her. The two had never even done more than vaguely acknowledge one another's presence, so how could Ginny have done something to tick Pansy off at her?

After a few moments considering what she had been told, Ginny raised her eyes as she struggled to stand up from the floor and spoke again. "If you aren't behind this than who is?"

Pansy smiled again, but this time the look of pure evil shining from her made Ginny's blood run cold. 

"Wouldn't you like to know," Pansy taunted.

"Yes, I would," Ginny replied calmly, "That's why I asked." She tried to play it smooth; pretend that she wasn't bothered in the least by her sudden capture and imprisonment. She just hoped that Pansy couldn't see the fear in her eyes or hear it in her voice. She thought she was hiding it pretty well, using some of the technique she'd picked up from Draco, but she couldn't be sure.

Pansy stared back at the other girl, eyes narrowed. "You've been watching Draco." Apparently Pansy had noticed the similarity of her facial expressions to his. God knows she had probably watched Draco enough to know them by heart. Everyone knew that Pansy had a thing for Draco, and everyone knew just as well that Draco was only using her.

Somehow, thinking of Draco gave her a strength she'd never known she possessed. Earlier, when they had dragged her away from Hogwarts, she had given up all hope. Now, with just the thought of Draco in her mind, Ginny knew she couldn't give up. Not until things had been resolved between them. She didn't know what she'd say when, if, she saw him again, but she did know they had to talk. 

Ginny didn't reply to Pansy's last comment, choosing to ignore it and focus on the real issue at hand. "Well, who's holding me captive?"

"Oh, no one you know," Pansy said with an overly sweet smile. "Just an old friend of mine."

Was Ginny hearing things or had Pansy purposely emphasized the "old" part?

"Could you at least give me a name?"

Pansy was walking around the room now, and though Ginny followed her every move with calculating eyes, she did not turn when Pansy walked around behind her, clearly trying to unnerve the sixth year. It didn't work. Using another trick she had observed Draco using numerous times, she made her eyes go cold and her face harden, stubbornly remaining facing forwards. 

This seemed only to increase Pansy's dislike of her, and with a haughty air, the girl stepped back around in front of her. "I could, but I won't. You'll find out soon enough, Weasel."

"Really?" Ginny asked, trying hard to feign wide-eyes curiosity. "Is he-or she- coming here?" Inwardly, she was battling for control of herself. After seeing Draco play act so many times, she had assumed it was easy. Now she knew better. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done in her life. Part of her wanted to just lash out and give Pansy a good beating for her arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude, but another part of her wanted to break down into tears at her heartless insults and maliciousness. What had Ginny ever done to her? 

But after a moment of consideration, these thoughts only hardened her determination. She would not cry, and she would not lash out in anger, at least not when it wouldn't accomplish anything. Instead, she would remain cool and unaffected. Perhaps she would be able to glean some information that way. And it also had the total advantage of being completely unexpected.

But Pansy's next words caught her off guard and made all her well-laid plans go flying out the window. 

"Not him, per se, but Draco is."

***************************

Lucius Malfoy gaped right along side his wife at the perfect pale green image of the Dark Mark hovering in the sky. His face whiter now than Draco had ever seen it, he turned furiously to Draco. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! And how did you know how to do it at all?!!"

Draco couldn't help the arrogant smirk that crept over his face at the wrath of his father. This was almost fun. 

"Come now, father, you must know that I was always brighter than the average child. Why would I wait to be taught how to do something when I could learn from observation myself?"

Lucius's face reddened. His father, embarrassed? No, probably just angry. Either way, this was turning out to be quite a show. "Why you smug little son of a bitch! How dare you speak to me that way. I'll…I'll…"

"You'll what father? Strangle me? Toss me to the dementors? I think not. Not after I explain to all your little death eater friends whose side you're really on. Maybe even Voldemort himself. 

Lucius looked as if he was going to be sick, and Narcissa looked outright terrified. 

Turning to his mother, Draco said calmly, but without sympathy, "I think you should leave. Now." 

It was a warning, and Narcissa knew it. Without another word and without looking back, she raced for the door and ran out.

"I'll rip you to pieces, boy," Lucius spat at him once his wife was gone. "Your as good as dead right now."

"I don't know about that," Draco replied icily, amusement shining from his face. "If you kill me, then how will you explain the Mark? It will still be there, and if I'm gone, people will think you did it. Not only will the death eaters and Voldemort be mad because they think you summoned them for nothing, but the Ministry will want to have words as well."

Only now did Lucius begin to see the trap he had fallen into. 

"Now," Draco continued. "You can give me the information I want, quickly and accurately, or you can stand here arguing while all your friends show up, only to be told the truth about where your real allegiance belongs." Without one trace of sympathy or regret Draco uttered the last word and tightened the noose on his previously unsuspecting father. "Do we have a deal?"

Lucius's hands clenched and unclenched, his jaws tightened in rage. But there was no way out of the trap he had allowed himself to be led into, and he knew it. 

"Fine," he agreed. "But take down the Mark first."

"The information," Draco demanded, his wand held high to imply that he would get rid of the Mark the moment he learned what he wanted. 

His father was in no position to argue, and without another protest, the information was spit at Draco with more menace than a dragon could have offered.

"Thanks," Draco offered as he dropped his wand, the illusion of a Dark Mark disappearing along with it. With another flick of his wrist and muttered spell he had summoned his broomstick and was standing on the large windowsill, the glass pushed open in front of him. "You can tell mother to come out from hiding now," he remarked smugly as dropped outside the window and hovered there on his broom. "And by the way, you didn't think that was a real Dark Mark, did you?" he shot out as he turned his broom around and zoomed off in the direction he now knew Ginny had been taken.

From far behind him he heard Lucius Malfoy cursing in rage at being so deceived and hurling hexes at Draco's back. But it was too late, the young Malfoy was already out of range, and as he flew off after Ginny, the grin that split his face was nothing short of triumphant.

*****************************

Ginny's jaw dropped. "D-Draco's coming here?" Was he coming to rescue her? Had he found out where she was?

Pansy smirked, reading the question in Ginny's eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Draco's not coming here to rescue you like some pathetically ridiculous knight-in-shining-armor persona from a fantasy book."

"Then why?" Ginny's face betrayed her confusion, causing amusement to flicker in Pansy's eyes. 

"Because, silly girl, the Master bids him to."

That got Ginny. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating in her chest, and a horrible feeling of dread was overcoming her. "What do you mean? What master? Voldemort?"

That God-awful laugh again. "Oh no," Pansy told her mockingly. "You won't get off that easily. There is someone much, much worse than Voldemort who has taken a….shall we say 'interest' in you."

Suddenly, it all clicked into place. Draco, her captor, someone more powerful than Voldemort…the necklace.

Now Ginny knew what Draco had been keeping from her that day in the Great Hall when they had first found the door to the Rainbow Room. Now she understood why he had suddenly become so distant. 

It wasn't because he was "uncertain" about their relationship as Ginny had thought. It was because he had been told to use her. 

Oh, God, this couldn't be happening. If Salazar had had a hold of Draco all that time before, did that mean that it could have had a hold on him even longer than that? What if all that he had told her, everything he had said, the kiss…What if it had all been some gigantic ruse to get her to trust him? 

And the challenge had even presented a better way to get them together. Had this whole little adventure been planned by Draco?

Surely not, but then…if it hadn't, how could she account for Draco's sudden change of attitude? First in the way he had become nice to her, then in the way he had suddenly turned distant.

It was all so confusing. 

Face pale, Ginny glanced back over at Pansy and saw a triumphant smile etched across the girl's features. She was enjoying this.

But Ginny was too upset and disillusioned even to hate her for it. All she wished was to be left alone so she could sort out her jumbled thoughts. 

As though Pansy had read her mind, the seventh year opened her mouth cheerfully. "Well, I guess I'll leave you alone now. There's probably a lot you want to think about now that you know that Draco never really liked you in the first place. He was just using you to do his Master's bidding. How embarrassing." And with one last shake of her head and a louder-than-called-for giggle, she made her way out the door.

Ginny waited until she was sure there was no one else around, and then let the tears that had been gathering in her eyes spill over. For not the first time, but hopefully the last, she found herself crying over the lost cause that was Draco Malfoy.

************************* 

Draco eyed the woods warily before landing. This was where he was supposed to find Ginny? 

The woods around him were another branch of the Forbidden Forest, as was evident by the cold glares the trees seemed to be giving off. Just his luck that he would end up once again in the middle of a place he so passionately hated.

As soon as he inherited Malfoy Manor, that section of forest would probably be the first thing to go. If he inherited the Manor. 

After that stunt he'd just pulled, he would be extremely surprised if he inherited anything. Knowing his father, the old man might already be at court changing his will and trying to convince the lawyers that Draco did not even deserve the name "Malfoy" and that they should change his birth certificate immediately. Draco wouldn't put anything past him.

The wind whispered around him, and it took all the courage and self-possession Draco had not to hop right back on his broomstick and fly away. But Ginny needed him. After all he'd put her through, he couldn't let her down now. His insides ached just thinking about it.

Well, there was nothing left to do know but search the area. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd stumble across some clue to help him. Lucius Malfoy had told him the right place all right, Draco could feel it, but he hadn't given very specific directions for once you landed. 

And the enormity of the forest around him didn't help either. It would be almost impossible to find her. But he had to try. For Ginny's sake…and for his own. 

"Draco!"

Ginny's anguished cry reached his ears, and Draco immediately turned, searching for the source of the voice. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his pulse raced. Never in his life had he felt this much worry for anyone. It was pure torture. Like a knife had been stuck into his heart and was being continually wrenched around.

One moment he thought there might be a chance of finding her, of saving her from whatever horrible monstrosity had hold of her. The next, he knew it was hopeless. He'd never seen such a large, endless forest. He was completely lost. And even if he had her voice to guide him, how could he be certain that it wasn't some cruel joke, a horrible trick to lead him in the wrong direction so that by the time he realized what was happening it would be entirely too late to find her in time? 

His one constant thought was please don't hurt her before I get a chance to tell her the way I feel. 

He should have done it weeks ago, he realized that now. Instead, he had hesitated, never wanting to be the one to take the risk first, mostly for fear of being rejected. Even now, he wasn't sure exactly how she felt about him. But there was no longer any denying the way he felt for her.

He loved her. 

He knew it down in the very bones of his body; in the depths of his soul. A wild, sweet, uncontrollable love that was all the more terrifying for the very depths of it's passion. 

As he stood in those woods, the sound of her voice desperately calling his name still echoing around him, he knew he had no choice. If he hadn't refused Slytherin before, Ginny would still have been safe at Hogwarts. 

The voice had warned him after all, hadn't it? That fateful day all those weeks ago when it had told him to think carefully on his choice, for his very happiness would depend on it. Back then, he hadn't fully realized what it had meant. He was seldom happy anyway. 

But now he heard the words as he had that one day, with a remarkable clarity and understanding that had been denied him before. 

Salazar had meant Ginny after all. Draco should have trusted his instincts. Salazar had somehow known even that long ago that Draco fancied her; that he felt something for the little red-haired Weasley that could only result in the truest love of all.

And he had used its knowledge to manipulate Draco into helping him. He had known that Draco could not refuse when faced with the decision between helping Salazar or sacrificing Ginny.

And he had been right.

In that moment of revelation, Draco suddenly hated his house's namesake with every fiber of his being. Salazar had certainly earned his dark reputation, and up until a few months ago, Draco would probably have been first in line for the man's autograph. But not anymore. Now, he just wanted to get the whole thing over with. He wanted to make sure that Ginny was safe and sound back at Hogwarts, with not even one tiny scratch anywhere on her entire, perfect, beautiful little body. 

Looking up from the forest floor where he had been staring in silence, he raised his head high, almost proudly, and glared out at the forest around him. 

" Fine!" he shouted into the stillness, pure rage filling every drop of his voice as the sound broke the silence. " I'll do it. Are you happy now? I said I'd do it!"

Suddenly, from somewhere deep within him, a dark, deranged laugh bubbled up. It caused the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and Draco shivered as goosebumps rose up all over his body. 

Good, he heard the triumphant voice of Salazar whisper in his mind. Good…

*****************************

Ginny didn't know how long she cried, but when the tears finally stopped falling, she was still alone and night had fallen. A feeling of helplessness fell over her again, as it had earlier that day, or the day before, or whenever it had been. She wasn't sure how long she had slept before waking up to find that horrid girl there to terrorize her.

Then, she had sworn she would be strong, that she would survive, but the news about Draco had devastated her. The possibility that someone she had come to trust and depend on so much had just been using her was shocking.

Ginny hoped it wasn't real, wished, prayed that it wasn't, but how could she be sure. Draco had acted strangely, certainly, but wasn't it possible for someone to really change? She had thought it was.

Now she found herself once more adrift in a sea of endless uncertainty and unknown truth. She had been sure that Draco had meant it when he kissed her, sure that he had meant it when he complimented her. Now she wasn't sure of anything.

That was the moment the door opened and Pansy's lithe form slid easily through the gap. 

"The Master says for me to lead you to the bathroom," she intoned emotionlessly. Unconsciously, she reached down to touch the chain that Ginny noticed hanging around her neck reverently. It wasn't the gesture itself that got Ginny's attention, but the remarkable similarity to the way Draco had touched his own necklace. Once Ginny noticed that, it was only seconds before she realized that not only did Pansy use the same gesture, the necklace she wore was identical to Draco's! Was it possible that there were two Soul Keepers?

Pansy seemed to catch her look, and a small, mirthless laugh escaped her. "No, it's not as you think. This is only a copy of the original Soul Keeper, designed before Slytherins death for communication purposes only. No, Draco wears the original." Her face became suddenly unhappy and darkly brooding at the mention of Draco's name, but the moment she noticed ginny watching she concealed the expression.

Pansy was worried about something. Something having to do with Draco. The idea that the little Slytherin princess wasn't so confident as she had seemed before pleased Ginny enormously. Maybe it meant that Draco wasn't doing exactly what they had planned.

To Ginny, that meant one of two things:

(1) Either Draco and Slytherin were having some kind of disagreement over how things should precede; or,

(2) Draco wasn't participating with them at all.

The last option brought a renewal of hope to Ginny's spirit. If Draco wasn't with them, he was certainly against them! 

Now that she had time to think, she realized that it wouldn't be so unlike Pansy to lie to her, make her believe things that weren't true. She might have even been purposely leading her awry so that Ginny didn't realize her true situation, and so that she gave up all hope.

Well Ginny had news for that little arse. She was through playing games, and as far as she was concerned her "Master" could go jump off a cliff! Ginny decided she was much better off believing someone she might have only thought she trusted, like Draco, to someone she had always known she couldn't trust. 

When Pansy motioned for her to get to her feet and shoved her roughly out the door ahead of her, Ginny's mind was made up. 

Which was the reason that when Ginny actually saw what looked like a door opening in front of her that seemed to lead outside she didn't hesitate.

"Draco!" she shouted as loudly as she could, hoping that if he was anywhere near by he would hear her. It might help him.

Even when Pansy's knee came up suddenly into her stomach and knocked the air out of her for her insolence, and again when Pansy's foot connected with her side as she lay on the ground and she fell into darkness, Ginny's inward expression of faith and hope never wavered. 

And somewhere- far in the distance, though she did not know it- a young man looked up into the forest around him as he heard her cry, the sound of her voice restoring his almost shattered will to the strength he needed to go on. 

******************************

A/N: Is this getting interesting or what?!! I don't know exactly how many chapters are left, but I will probably be wrapping this up fairly soon. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. It will be my first finished piece of chaptered fan fiction. It's really exciting. Please everyone, let me know what you think in a review, I could really use the spirit booster. There is so much emotion and drama in these chapters that they are getting hard to write. Don't worry though, if I'm the type of person I think I am, we will most certainly see a happy ending. I just couldn't do it any other way!


	20. Til Death Do Us Part

Chapter 20: Til Death Do Us Part…

"Good…" 

Slytherins mind voice echoed through Draco's mind, and he cringed in apprehension. He had agreed, now Slytherin would just take over his body and use it wouldn't he?

Apparently not. Several minutes passed, and Draco was still Draco, able to move his own body. This had to be a trick. Why else would he still have control?

Draco didn't even realize that he'd voiced those last two thoughts out loud until he felt the sensation of someone rolling their eyes and Salazar spoke again.

No, I will not expend my strength by taking over your body now. The necklace will guide you. 

The presence faded from his mind again and Draco knew that he was alone. If only he could figure out exactly how Salazar did that, maybe he could stop him…

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a sharp tug on his neck. Looking down, he noticed that the Soul Keeper was stretched out in front of him, pulling slightly to the right. When Draco still didn't move, it gave a tug that almost knocked him off his feet.

So now an impatient necklace would guide him. Great. 

"Alright, alright," he muttered starting forwards in the direction indicated and picking up the pace as he realized that he was getting closer to Ginny. 

The rest of the world and all it's problems seemed to fade into the background as he pictured her smiling face before him, teasing him gently about something he couldn't even recall now. It all seemed such a long time ago.

What might have been just a few minutes passed in what seemed like days as he trudged doggedly onward, broomstick clutched reflexively in one hand while he used the other to push away low hanging limbs and clinging vegetation. Once or twice he found himself caught in a thicket of thorns and had to pause and carefully extract himself, cursing loudly the entire time. 

The march did accomplish one thing though. It gave him time to think. And with the millions of thoughts racing through his head came a surge of determination. He go along, pretending to play Slytherin's game. For now. Then he would find a way out, with Ginny. If there was a way out.

He glanced up then, expecting to see more of the dark forest stretching away in front of him. Instead, he realized that the necklace had suddenly stopped it's relentless tugging, and that the forest had ended abruptly. Amazed, he stared up at the solid cliff wall stretching so far above him that it's top was lost in mist. Surely this couldn't be natural? 

That was when he saw the small opening in the rock a little to his left and about ten feet up. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it wasn't just an opening, but was more like a tunnel of some sort. 

Hovering on his broomstick in the air beside it, he felt the Soul Keeper give another sharp tug towards the hole. This was it then. Without allowing himself to think about the possible dangers, he slowly and carefully maneuvered himself forwards and began to crawl through.

************************************

When Ginny awoke, it was only to find herself imprisoned again, hidden away in another small room under lock and key. The only difference was that this time she was lying on a bed; a welcome change from the hard floor. But there was another difference too, something she couldn't quite place. 

It was cold here as well, like they were farther underground. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. And stopped, looking at her arms in amazement. Slowly, she stood up from the bed, her gaze sliding away from her arms and over the rest of her body. The old, ragged cloak that she had been wearing the night before was gone, replaced by a beautiful white silk dress that must have cost more than her entire house. Gone were the smudges of dirt and streaks of sweat too. She was clean. That was the difference she had felt. 

She stared back at the dress again, trying to discover what it must mean. She felt as though she were being made ready for some kind of special event, but what it was she had no idea. Looking at the dress and the pearl necklace she suddenly realized was hanging around her neck, it could have been a royal ball. 

Well, whatever it was it was obvious that she was wanted there. So she simply wouldn't go. Maybe that would put a damper on Pansy's plans. 

"Then again, maybe not," she just had time to think as the door was swung open and she was hauled out by the same two men who had kidnapped her before. This time, their faces were clearly visible. 

"Crabbe? Goyle?" she croaked in disbelief. How on earth…

The two in question remained silent and continued carrying her down a long corridor. 

"Where are we going?" she tried again. Still no answer. "Fine."

After that, the only sound was the heavy thud of footsteps as they walked. 

It wasn't too long before Ginny noticed that they must have been approaching their destination. For one thing, Crabbe and Goyle kept glancing at each other nervously, and for another, she could feel a change in the air. Subtle at first, but it was growing stronger as they entered a great hall and started towards a distant pair of doors. It wasn't a nice change either, it was oppressive, menacing even. It made you feel as though once you entered that room, you would never come out. 

By the time they had reached the doors, Ginny was as feeling as uneasy as Crabbe and Goyle were acting, and another sheen of nervous sweat had broken out on her body. She was walking on her own by that time, having resisted to being carried so much that the two boys had put her down eventually, though they kept a tight hold on her arms. Now, as they reached the doors, she hesitated, the fear of entering that room rising within her. 

She couldn't stand still long, and before she knew it she was being pulled through the doors and to the back of the room. 

A shadow suddenly came to life in front of her and Pansy's cloaked form materialized in front of them. She didn't even glance at Ginny, focusing on Crabbe and Goyle instead. 

"Quick, get her in there and get out. I don't know how long I can hold his door open." The girl was panting, the muscles in her body tensed and straining. One hand was clutching her necklace as though for support and the other was holding a slightly shaking wand towards what looked like empty air.

Ginny's eyes narrowed. Had Pansy lost it?

Crabbe and Goyle apparently didn't think there was anything strange in these orders, because they immediately lifted her from her feet and dragged her forward, promptly dumping her in the corner and racing back a few feet. Ginny jumped up to follow them, but suddenly found that she couldn't. It was like an invisible wall hung directly in front of her, blocking her way. 

She glanced in Pansy's direction, realizing that the girl had lowered her wand now and there was a triumphant grin spreading on her face.

"It works," she said softly, almost to herself. "I don't believe it. He said once I reactivated his spell that it would, but I didn't think…" Her voice trailed off as her sparkling eyes came to rest on Ginny and she smiled maliciously. 

"The time is almost here. Now, we wait."

*********************************** 

After a minute or two, the opening began to widen, gradually increasing in size until it ended abruptly at a large stone door. There was no way that was natural, and the intricate symbols engraved in the hard stone proved it. Fingering it lightly as he searched for some kind of handle, or knob, Draco was forced to jerk his hand away at the sudden intense feel of darkness, of evil, that the door contained. The thought made Draco cringe. He really didn't like the way this seemed to be heading.

Reluctantly, he forced his hand back to the stone. He had to find a way in, or else all of his previous efforts had been a waste. He couldn't let that happen.

"Lot of good this does," he muttered to the air in general, glaring pointedly at the necklace. It was pulling him towards the door, but it sure wasn't showing him how to get in.

At least he hadn't thought it was. Now, with the tugging growing more insistent, he followed the way the necklace was trying to go with his eyes, and realized exactly what it wanted. 

On the right bottom corner of the door there was another symbol carved, with one major difference: it was the perfect mirror reflection of the Soul Keeper. It had to be a lock of some kind. 

Bending down, he gripped the necklace in his hand and positioned it right in front of the design. 

"Here goes nothing." Pulling his lower lip between his teeth in a remarkably "Ginny" action, he took a deep breath and moved the necklace forward.

A low rumbling filled the air causing the ground underneath the quiver and shake with the force of it. Slowly, reluctantly, the huge door swung open, and Draco had to jump back out of the way to keep from ending up like mashed potatoes against the wall. Once again, only quick reflexes saved him.

As the door finished moving, the rumbling faded and Draco was left in silence, a thick cloud of freshly churned up dust hanging about his head and making him wish for a good breeze. 

Hoping for better air, he stepped forward through the opening and found himself in a large, circular cave. A perfect circle. Off to the left was a small opening, presumably a corridor, with the light of distant torches hovering around the entrance.

What was this, someone's private fortress?

Instantly, the thought rang true and Draco realized that yes, that was probably exactly what it was. Someone's fortress.

But now the fortress had a name, and not a particularly good one. 

He got his wish for a breeze just moments later. As he entered the cave, a harsh wind blew in from behind him, filling him with a damp, cold feeling before the force of it shoved the stone door closed with a resounding bang. 

Draco glanced back over his shoulder and immediately pushed on the heavy door, but it was stuck fast. 

Perfect.

There was nowhere left for him to go but on down the dimly lit corridor, the unevenly spaced torches casting a ghastly light over everything it touched. 

Part of the time he walked in absolute darkness, at other times the passageway seemed to be lit with an unnecessary brilliance. Several times, upon going without warning from the utter darkness to the radiant light, Draco had to pause and wipe his eyes on the sleeve of his robe, as his light colored eyes welled up with burning tears at the sudden change. 

And, just as often, he had to bit his lip to keep the feelings of frustration and anger from overwhelming him. On that long trek through the never changing passageway, his mind could roam freely, and he often wondered what his life would have been like if his father had never given him the pendant that still hung around his neck, guiding his way, or if Salazar hadn't chosen him to be the bearer. It would have been a lot simpler, he supposed. No evil voices, or almost unbearable pain, no terrible choices that no one should have to make. But there would also have been no Ginny. After they had finished serving their detentions together, life would have gone back to the way it was before for both of them, and they would probably have continued to hate each other for the rest of their lives. Draco couldn't bear to think of that happening either. Maybe if there was some kind of in-between.

But there couldn't be. And there could be no reliving the past. Not now, not when the one person, the only person, he would live and die for needed him the most. He had to get to her.

And with this final thought in mind, urging him onwards, it wasn't very much longer that he finally came to the end of the stone passageway and found himself facing an old, crumbled, wooden door.

At one time, it looked as if it could have held off an entire army, but now the wooden planks were rotted and soft. 

In the middle of the door on the right side was what might have been some kind of handle, but it too had rusted away, leaving an unidentifiable chunk of metal in it's place.

Almost, Draco started to reach for it to see if it would still open the door when he had to pause and laugh mirthlessly at himself for his stupidity. 

Raising a strong leg, he struck out at the door, kicking it open easily. 

Not much of a defense anymore.

Before stepping through the shattered remains, he stuck his head through cautiously, wondering what would be revealed. Would he see her? Would Ginny be there, tied up in shackles, and would her eyes light up with happiness when she saw that he had come to rescue her? Or would a ghostly image of Salazar be there instead, if something like that was possible?

To his great disappointment, the sight that greeted his eyes was strangely ordinary. It seemed to be some kind of entrance hall, with a large set of double doors at the far end and several other doorways leading off both sides. 

Now where did he go?

As soon as the mental question was asked, the necklace rose up to guide him again, gently tugging him towards the doorway across the hall and a little way down from him. It seemed slightly larger than the other's, and from Draco's experience with large manors and mansions, though not particularly with fortresses, he deduced that it would probably lead to a large dining room, or ballroom. 

It turned out to be the latter. As he pushed open the once grand doors, sprinkles of dust fell into his hair already dusty hair, and he shook his head to throw it off. The movement focused his attention on the far side of the room, and a flash of red-hair immediately captured his full attention.

Ginny.

It was her. She was really there.

*******************************

Ginny spotted him at almost the same time, and she immediately jumped up, the last reserves of energy she didn't know she had until then springing up to aid her. 

"Draco, don't!" 

" Ginny!" he yelled, his voice hoarse with emotion. She was alive, he hadn't hurt her after all… Desperately, he rushed towards her, only to be brought to an abrupt stop by the tone of her voice.

"Stop, Draco, don't come any closer, it's a trap!" Ginny strained against the invisible wall Pansy had activated around her. She had to make Draco understand. In the long minutes she had been held there, Pansy had told her what was really going on, seeming to enjoy watching Ginny cringe and curse in turns. And Ginny had done plenty of both. 

Salazar wasn't planning on releasing her, as he'd told Draco. He was going to use her to get to him, to make him a tool in his plans to take over the world. The Draco she knew would be gone forever, replaced by the evil of Salazar Slytherin. Ginny couldn't allow that to happen, even if it meant risking herself.

"What do you mean, it's a trap?" Draco asked uncertainly before he realized what she meant. "Oh, you mean that Salazar's waiting for me," he began walking forward again, brushing her comment off. "I know that, Gin."

Ginny's voice faltered. "You-you know that?" All her earlier doubts rushed back to the surface, no matter how hard she tried to push them away. Was Draco working for them after all?

His next words had her breathing out deeply with her eyes shut in relief, then flying open as the implications of what he said sank in.

"Slytherin," Draco called, addressing his words to the necklace for the most part. "I'm here now, you can let her go."

There was no answer, only that oppressive silence, but suddenly the wall around Ginny dropped and in the back of his mind, Draco felt something stir.

Ginny rushed forward, taking his hands in hers. "No, Draco, you can't do this. Get out of here, now, before it's too late."

Draco smiled slightly, even as he felt the presence of Slytherin taking over his mind, piece by piece. "Sorry Gin, I can't do that." His gray eyes met her brown ones, and in them Ginny could see a rising darkness, like a shadow in the night.

"Please, no…stop" she choked, a tear rolling down her cheeks as she realized what was happening. Draco didn't seem to hear her as he gripped her hands tightly, an intense look in his eyes.

"I love you too much."

************************* 

With the last control left to him, Draco watch Ginny's eyes widen, saw the fresh teardrops fall from her cheeks. He felt a moment of satisfaction that he'd at least gotten to say that much before he gave up his will to Slytherin. It wouldn't be easy, but he knew that he could accept his new position as long as Ginny was safe and she knew that he loved her. 

Draco was sinking fast. He could feel the dark presence filling his mind, seeking searching, conquering every small corner of resistance. And suddenly, it was over. 

He could still think, but his mind was not his own anymore. It was like there were two sets of thoughts inside him, one of them Slytherin's, the other his own. But Slytherin's were more prominent, and Draco found himself being shoved back, locked away into the farthest recesses of his own mind. 

He could see things, and hear them, but he could no longer take any action on his own. He tried at first, straining to move an arm, a leg, a toe, a finger. Nothing.

As you see, it is useless. You are mine now completely. There will be no escape for you this time. No Ginny to save you, Salazar sneered. 

Draco didn't answer, so Salazar continued.

I've wanted you here a long time, you know. And now that I've got you, I think it's time we went to work.

That was something Draco couldn't ignore. What do you mean?

Salazar didn't answer directly, but Draco suddenly felt their hands-his hands-tighten on Ginny's. 

Hey, what are you doing?!! He protested as Ginny grimaced, trying to jerk her hands away with no result. Stop it, you'll hurt her!

No answer. 

Do you hear me? I said stop!

His grip loosened, but only a little bit as he began dragging her to the left, towards a long, high stone table Draco hadn't noticed before. He didn't get a good look at it, he could only see what Salazar saw, and the evil wizard's main focus seemed to be on Ginny.

The girl was…resisting…to say the least. Violently. But it made no difference. Slytherin had just taken possession of a strong, capable body, and no matter how much Ginny struggled, she could not get away.

What was Salazar doing? He was supposed to let Ginny go, he'd said he would-.

Draco blinked, once…twice…a third time. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no! Suddenly, vividly, he recalled his conversation with the wizard. Salazar had never actually said that he'd spare Ginny, had he? Draco had only assumed…

Grimly, Draco recalled a saying his father had taught him when he was just a child: assume makes an ass out of you and me.

God, he was such an idiot! What had become of the famous Malfoy ability called thought processes? Not only had he lost himself, or rather his body, to Slytherin, he'd dragged Ginny into this mess as well. He almost wished Potter were there, that boy seemed to have a knack for getting himself out of deep trouble. In his frantic state of mind, he would probably even have taken his archenemies advice if it had been offered. Unfortunately, there was no one to help him and Ginny except himself. 

He should never have told her what was going on, never- but it was too late for regrets. 

Well, Draco, you've really gotten yourself in for it this time. How was he going to pull this one off? He didn't really think a charming smile or a few nicely phrased words would work, especially when he couldn't use his own mouth. How did you fight this kind of battle?

He didn't have time to think about it. 

Salazar's gaze turned from Ginny towards the back of the room where they were headed, and the motion caught his attention. Plainly visible was a long, stone table. At least twelve feet long, Draco calculated, and maybe five feet wide, six at the most. 

Ignoring it after his initial glance, Draco surveyed the wall behind it, or what he could see of the wall, looking for some kind of doorway, or exit that would led them out of this room and to another. Maybe he was planning on holding Ginny as a hostage. If that was the case, Draco wanted to be able to find her, just in case by some miracle he actually managed to get out of this predicament. 

But there was no doorway in sight, nor was their any other means of coming and going that Draco could spot. Salazar had to be heading for the table. But why?

No sooner had he asked himself the question than he focused his gaze on it and tried to find the answer. He couldn't think of anything.

"Lunch?" was the only thing that came to mind, so when he spotted a dark red stain on it as they came closer, he voiced the comment without thinking.

"You know, if you expect us to eat on this thing Slythy, you might want to clean it first. Someone spilt ketchup all over the place." 

When Salazar paused mid-stride, Draco knew he'd been heard, and felt a small swell of triumph. If he could do nothing else, he could at least annoy "Evil Incarnate" to his heart's content. Not that he'd be satisfied with that, he'd have to find some way to get Ginny out eventually…

A chilling laugh as Salazar recovered himself and started forward again slowed his thoughts. 

Fool, Salazar mocked him.

Draco had opened his mouth (in a manner of speaking) to ask how, when he realized his mistake. They were at the edge of the table, and Draco could see the stain better, a perfect circle in the center of the table. Funny, now that he could see from up close, it looked almost like…

Draco's heart took a terrifying plunge to his feet, the sound of it's pounding louder than he would have thought possible. His stomach churned, and he felt bile rise in his throat. That wasn't ketchup.

It was blood.

*************************

Ginny fought and pulled with all her might when Draco- no Slytherin- attempted to pull her across the floor to some unknown doom, but she couldn't stop him. Draco was powerful enough by himself, but now with that monster of a wizard inside him, he was almost unstoppable. 

How had it happened? What form of Black magic could allow someone to do what Salazar had done? She knew of the Imperious Curse, and how you could control someone with it, but this was different. Far different.

Was Draco even still alive? Was he there, could he see what was going on? He had to be. Ginny refused to allow herself to think otherwise. If he was still in there somewhere, trapped in his own body, there was still hope for him.

As for her…Ginny shuddered as they approached the table and she spotted the dark stain. She wasn't nearly as optimistic as Draco had been upon his first glance at it. The word "ketchup" had never even entered her head. She recognized it as what it really was instantly.

How many people had been killed there, right there, on that very spot? She had no way of knowing. All she knew was that she did not intend to join them.

She had ceased her struggles in shock when she saw the table, but now she fought in earnest, using all her strength. 

If only she had her wand…

But she didn't. She didn't have anything, only desperation. She might have gotten away too, if it weren't for the three shadows that stepped out of the darkness and held her fast, lifting her onto the table and laying her flat on her back. Within seconds, her hands and feet were bound with leather straps that seemed to appear out of thin air (very possible, since all three of them had a wand). 

Ginny pulled and yanked and the binds until she was exhausted, but she got nothing but sore, bleeding wrists as a result. Tears leaked unnoticed from the corners of her eyes as she saw Pansy holding out a fierce, deadly looking dagger, and she watched in horror as Salazar took it.

So this was it then. This is how it would end. It was almost ironic really. She'd been training to be a healer, but if that dagger came down as she knew Salazar intended it, she would not even be able to heal herself.

Pansy sneered at her, but Ginny didn't even glance her way. Crabbe and Goyle had already retreated back into the shadows, obviously content to wait things out. 

Would anyone ever know what had really happened to her? She thought of her family. Her parents, they had probably been alerted to her disappearance by now. What would they think when she never came back? And her brothers, Ron…

And Draco, she reminded herself. What about him? If he was still there somewhere, trapped in a small corner of his mind, would he know what happened to her? Did he even know what had happened to him?

She was shivering now, but not from cold. Vaguely, as she saw Slytherin raise the deadly weapon above his head, she wondered what death would be like. Would there be pain? Probably. At least at first. But after that?

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, certain she was about to find out. 

But the blow never came. Or had it? Was she dead already? She cracked open one eye, then the other in disbelief. 

Only an inch above where her heart would be, the dagger had stopped, as if hitting an invisible wall. It hovered there, and as Ginny overcame the first surprise of still being alive, she could see that it was shaking. No, Slytherin was shaking. His whole body strained with the effort to force the dagger downwards into her flesh, but it wouldn't budge.

What was happening?

Ginny could only lay there, hoping-praying- that whatever force was keeping the dagger at bay would continue to do so. She looked up, surprised to find Salazar's eyes locked with hers. But they were different, not so dark…

"Draco!" she cried in surprise, half questioning at first, but as soon as she'd said it she knew it was true. He was still alive! Or a part of him was. 

Slowly, oh so slowly, the dagger inched it's way up, away from her chest. He was doing it! Somehow, Draco was fighting Slytherin. And winning.

She could hardly believe it, how was he doing it? She met his eyes and grinned encouragingly. "You're doing it Draco, you're doing it!"

A corner of his mouth twitched, as though he were trying to smile back. Or was it a grimace? Ginny couldn't tell. But if it had been a smile, why did his eyes look so sad? 

Her own grin faltered. His lips moved then, and Ginny watched as he struggled to make them move how he wanted them to, to tell her something. 

When he finally got them to cooperate, the words came out in a whisper so low she couldn't catch them. 

*****************

Draco tried again. "I love you," he finally managed before suddenly plunging the knife into his own heart. 

A/N: Yep, that's it for now. I'm so evil! Please review.


	21. What Dreams Are Made Of

Chapter 21: What Dreams are Made Of

A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all my wonderful reviewers. Thank you all so much, I appreciate all the support and encouragement you've given me. Also, just to let you all know, I've started work on another D/G fic called Playing with Fire. It ought to be out sometime in the next few weeks, so be sure to keep a look out for it. I don't know exactly how long it will be, but it is chaptered. See you all then hopefully! Now onwards to the end…

*********

Ginny gaped in shock as she saw the knife pierce deep into Draco's chest. What was he doing?!!!

Then she was moving again, struggling to get out of the binds that held her. Her wrists bleed freely, but she didn't feel the pain anymore.

******************

Draco's eyes widened as he looked down at a growing pool of blood forming around his feet and pouring from his chest. He felt his knees weaken and then his legs gave out. The dagger dropped from his hands as he fell, clattering to the blood splattered floor. 

Draco looked up at Ginny, full possessor of his body once more. Her eyes were terrified, and tears streamed unnoticed down her cheeks. Until he felt the taste of salt on his own lips, he didn't realize that he was crying too. Curse it, but it couldn't be helped.

He reached out a trembling hand, intending to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay. "Gin-" That was as far as he got. A warm, metallic taste filled his mouth and he turned away, coughing up blood. His hand dropped to his side; he couldn't hold it up anymore. A hot, pain-shot flame licked through him, scorching him from head to toe, but especially around his heart. _Now I know what a lobster being boiled feels like, _he thought vaguely.

He tried to find Ginny's face, he searched for it, wanting it to at least be the last thing he saw, but he couldn't find it. Instead, a hazy red fog enveloped him, and he felt hands struggle to hold him up as he slumped to the floor. Then his vision turned black, and he knew no more.

********************

Pansy's breath caught in her throat when she saw the dagger stop and she realized that Draco was fighting Salazar. Damn him, and just when she was about to see that little Weasley brat done in for sure! Well, she wasn't just going to stand by and let her get away alive.

Jumping out of the shadows, she rushed to take hold of the dagger, to force it down by the added force of her weight, but she didn't get more than three feet before she saw Draco plunge the knife into himself. She stopped dead in her tracks, staring. Frozen unable to move, she could only sputter in surprise when strong hands gripped her from behind and she felt herself being held none to gently by a ministry of magic official. 

"Twitch, and you're dead," he told her.

He might have been joking, but Pansy sure didn't want to try it and find out. She stood still.

Crabbe and Goyle had also come out of the shadows, but it was at the last moment and only to run from more Ministry officials. They didn't make it very far. Though as big or bigger than any of the men holding them, when threatened like Pansy, they didn't move. 

****************************

Somehow, the leather straps disappeared from Ginny's wrists and ankles. She didn't bother to wonder how, not then. Vaguely, she was aware that people were moving around her, and someone was calling her name. But she had eyes only for Draco, and immediately slipped off the table and onto the floor beside him. 

Hands reached for her, but she shrugged them away. Desperately, she placed her hands over the jagged wound, trying to stop the flood of blood. Someone gripped her arm, pulling her away, and voices spoke loudly in her ears, but she didn't understand what they were saying. She didn't want to. Draco couldn't be dead, he couldn't. 

But he was.

Great sobs racked her body, and she was suddenly overcome with exhaustion. The arms came back, but this time they were gentle, and familiar.

Ron. It was Ron holding her. 

She leaned into him, grateful for the support as more tears streaked her cheeks. He held her comfortingly, rocking her softly in his arms until her sobs subsided somewhat.

Gradually, the mix of noises faded, became individual voices, talking, crying, and whispering. Her head pounded with them, and in her mind she begged them to stop. 

She must have mumbled something aloud without realizing it, because a moment later, Ron stopped moving.

"What was that, Gin?"

"I said tell them to shut up. Please," she muttered tiredly. 

She didn't look up from where her head was buried in his shoulder, but a few moments later the voices stopped and Ginny could think again.

The hurt, the grief, was still there, but it had dulled to a distant ache inside of her, and since the shock had worn off, her brain was functioning again.

She pulled away from Ron suddenly, spinning around to look at where Draco still lay on the floor. Ron tried to stop her, but she wouldn't be stopped. 

Her mind had just seized upon the craziest, and probably stupidest idea ever thought of, but it was a plan nevertheless, and Ginny was not going to give up.

"Let go of me Ron," she ordered harshly as she reached over to Draco and began hunting through his pockets. "I can save him. Please let it be here, please let it be here…"

Ron looked as if he were going to stop her, but Hermione laid a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Don't," her eyes seemed to say.

He gave her a questioning look. Hermione shrugged.

Harry stood nearby as well, along with Professor Dumbledore and a squad of ministry officials. 

Everyone was silent, waiting.

Most, like Ron, thought Ginny had lost her mind in her grief, but no one said anything. No one even dared to move unless this sudden spell of hope that had come over them vanished, leaving nothing but sorrow in it's place.

Ginny finished her search through the pockets of Draco's shirt and pants, not caring that her hands were sticky with blood. If this worked, it wouldn't matter, and if it didn't…well, it still wouldn't matter.

But she couldn't think of that. It had to work, it had to.

From a few feet away, Dumbledore watched anxiously, knowing what she searched for and wishing it to be there right along with her.

When her fingers finally touched cold glass in an inside pocket of his robe, she knew she'd found what she was looking for. 

Without a word, she jerked the stopper off with strength she hadn't known she had and lifted the vial to her mouth. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ron reach for her, but once again, someone held him back. This time it was Dumbledore.

She drained the potion in three gulps. 

Remembering what the book had said about will power, Ginny focused all her will on one thing: Draco.

At first, she didn't think it had worked. Nothing seemed to change, she was still in that stone room, sitting on a cold floor, sticky with blood. But then it was gone, replaced by a scene of swirling white smoke or fog, or maybe both. It twisted and turned around her, filling her vision and losing her in it's white cloud. Was this death? 

If so, where was Draco?

She ran through the white clouds, a mind without a body. At least without a real one. It was her spirit that raced through the mist, for only a spirit could walk through death. 

She ran without thought, never wondering how she would find Draco, or how they would find the way back into life once she had him. All she knew was that she would do it. In her mind, there was no doubt. 

And if she couldn't, she might as well be lost in this place forever than go back without him.

Calling out, she yelled for him, but he didn't answer. Was he too far away? Or was she too late, and he had already passed through the gates of this nether realm and into the other parts of death?

Neither possibility was encouraging. Hours passed, or was it only minutes? In this place, time didn't exist, and Ginny had no way of knowing for certain.

She just kept calling out Draco's name, hoping he would answer. 

*************************

When Draco awoke, it wasn't to the same sight of a cold stone ceiling or floor that he had expected. Instead, a white mist swirled around him, tugging gently on his clothes, pulling him forward. He started to follow, but stopped when he realized that the blood was gone from his hands. In fact, it was gone from his clothes too. Looking down at smooth skin where moments ago there had been a gaping whole, Draco's mind was suddenly pushed into action and he looked around him more carefully.

Was this heaven? No, that couldn't be right, no way _he'd _end up _here. _There must have been some mistake. But there was no one to complain to, so he began walking once more, allowing the breeze to guide him. 

He only stopped to look back once, and that only just after he had started. Behind him was what looked like a huge hole in the whiteness, and through it he could see the room he'd left. Ginny was there, held tight in Ron's arms as she cried. She was crying for him.

For a moment, he thought about going back and trying to step back through the hole, but it was shrinking fast. 

__

She'll be all right, he thought. _At least I can trust Ron for that._

The hole closed completely then, and he had no choice but to go forward. Besides, the breeze that was leading him seemed anxious to be moving, and Draco really couldn't think of any reason to stay.

He had been walking only moments when he heard the first yell.

"Draco!"

He stopped, puzzled. Who could possibly be calling to him in here? 

He would have tried to find out, but the wind tugged at him, it's urgency contagious. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt the strongest urge to keep moving, to get out of there.

He walked forward some more.

But the call came again, and again, and each time it grew harder to ignore.

Finally, an answering cry burst from his lips before he could stop it. He finally recognized the voice. It was Ginny calling him! 

But what was she doing here…

No, she couldn't be. _Please tell me she didn't die too!_

The cry came again, more hopeful this time. Turning in it's direction, Draco tried to go that way, but the guiding wind, once gentle, had turned into a howling gust, threatening to sweep him off his feet entirely if he continued on his present course.

"Ginny!" he called, his voice clear and loud this time. "I'm over here, I can't get to you!"

"I'm coming!" came the answer.

An eye-straining moment later a small, red-headed figure burst through the clouds beside him. Clutching her hand tightly, he pulled her against him, holding her close. It was so good to be able to do that again.

"God, Gin, I'm so sorry," he got out after a few minutes of silence. "I was supposed to protect you and I failed. You weren't supposed to die."

"But I didn't."

Draco glanced up into her grinning face, startled. "What do you mean? How could you be here if- You didn't."

He stopped, recognition shining in his eyes. Reaching into his empty cloak pocket, he turned it inside out in disbelief.

"I did." Her smile lit up her face, her eyes happy, though moist with unshed tears.

"But-"

"I had to try, Draco," she interrupted, stopping his protest with a finger laid gently over his lips. "I couldn't just let you die when there might have been a chance."

He kissed her finger lightly and smiled back. Her grin was infectious. 

For a long moment, they just stood there, holding each other.

Then sanity returned.

"But how are we going to get back? The book said that people who get lost in here never get back."

Ginny cringed. "I hadn't actually gotten as far as that in my plans…"

"Of course not. You Gryffindors never think things through."

Ginny pretended to be wounded at the insult, but even with the possibility of not getting back to the world of the living in front of her, she couldn't seem to stop grinning. She had found him, safe and sound, without a single mark on his body.

That she could see, that was. 

__

And I'll take care of those later…

The stray thought came from nowhere, and she turned her face away from Draco, hoping that she couldn't blush in her spirit form. Where had that come from, anyway?

If Draco noticed anything, he didn't say. Instead, he took her hand in his and looked for a way out. It was funny, but the wind that had been blowing so hard before was back to a gentle breeze, but this time it was headed in the opposite direction.

Was that a sign? Should they follow the wind, or take their chances alone?

Well, one way was as good as the other, and at least the wind was heading back in the general direction that hole had been in. 

Maybe when they got there it would reappear and they could step back through. Or something like that.

"Come on," he said, tugging at her hand. "Follow the wind."

Ginny looked confused. "What wind?"

Draco stopped. "You don't feel it?"

"I don't feel anything."

That was strange. But not impossible. Draco couldn't help the wry smile that touched his lips then. After this, he'd never think of _anything _as impossible.

"Just come on."

Ginny followed obediently, not knowing where he was leading her, but not having any better ideas herself. Maybe if she'd paid more attention in some of her classes she would have a little bit better idea what she was dealing with.

Then again, maybe not. How to walk through death was probably not a subject that teachers were encouraged to teach.

They walked on, Draco in front of Ginny, and the wind in front of and around him. When it suddenly ended, Draco knew they must be back at the portal where he had entered death. But there was no hole in sight.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his soft hair, causing it to stick up at odd angles and making Ginny giggle.

He glared at her in exasperation. "The doorway's gone. I don't think that's anything to laugh at."

His mood sobered her a little. "Well, maybe you get out the same way you get in."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "And how's that?"

"Well, when I drank the potion, I just sort of willed myself to be here, to find you. So maybe we just-"

"Will ourselves back out," Draco finished for her. Ginny nodded.

It sounded incredulous, but Draco was not beyond giving it a shot. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Draco nodded. "Okay, on three, we wish really hard to be back in the "real" world. Got it?"

Ginny nodded again, and closed her eyes to concentrate.

"One, two, three!"

Draco closed his eyes too, focusing his whole being, everything that he was on making a gate through the worlds and stepping through it. In his mind's eye, he saw once again the large ballroom, with it's stone floors and bloodstained table. He felt the coldness in his bones, and the fear in his chest as Slytherin brought the knife down towards Ginny's heart, and he remembered the swelling of raw power from him that had allowed him enough time to stop the knife and change it's direction. He hadn't been able to stop Salazar completely, but he had used the wizard's strength to change the dagger's direction.

Suddenly, the world around him changed, and he felt himself falling. Ginny went with him, their hands still locked together, as they fell though the hole that had opened below them in the mist, back into their still bodies.

Ginny was the first to revive, jerking herself up out of Ron's lap and reaching for Draco's chest.

At first it remained still, and she feared it hadn't worked, but then it moved, ever so slightly. Then more and more, higher and higher, faster and faster until the motion became a heave and Draco was gasping for air.

All around them, disbelief and amazement was mirrored on the faces of ministry workers and three Hogwart's students alike. The only one who looked happy and proud rather than amazed was Dumbledore. 

Ginny saw the look, and wondered at it briefly, but it would be days before they would find out what it meant.

****************************

A week later, Hogwart's and it's students were back to normal, minus three missing Slytherins who no one actually seemed to miss at all. Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle had all had their wands snapped and had been expelled permanently from Hogwarts, or from any other wizarding school. Basically, instead of sending them to Azkaban, which Draco frankly thought they deserved, they had been sentenced to life as muggles.

As for Draco and Ginny, well, they were lucky to be back in school at all. After they had come back from the realm of death, they had both been taken to the nearest magical hospital and kept under observation for days. Remarkably, Draco showed no sign of ever having been stabbed. The wound was simply gone.

Of course, very few people knew the truth about what had happened that day. Only those few who the knowledge was absolutely necessary to were entitled to that privilege. This included Draco's and Ginny's parents. 

Amazingly, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had turned up acting extremely concerned about their son's welfare. In fact, it was as if the whole incident at Malfoy Manor had never existed. It was strange, and not exactly to his liking, but what else could Draco do but pretend to go along with the charade? His father wouldn't do anything to him, he was certain. Not after he'd helped defeat one of the most powerful wizards- past or present- in the world.

As for Ginny, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley insisted she come home and stay for awhile, but Ginny refused. The last thing she wanted to do was hide away from the world somewhere and never come out.

She would have to face it again sometime, and the sooner the better. It took her some time, but she finally convinced her parents of that too. The only downside was, she didn't think Ron would ever leave her side again.

That week was one of the longest, most boring of Ginny's life. There was only one thing that spiced it up at all.

The next Saturday, over a week from the eventful day, Draco and Ginny finally managed to get all the students involved to gather in one of the spare classrooms and exchange stories and point-of-views, and to answer each other's questions. Though they didn't admit it, all of them had been bursting with questions all week. Now that all the hustle and bustle had died down, maybe they could finally find out the whole story.

That was how five students, Ginny, Draco, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, came to be gathered around a small fire in a deserted classroom playing question-and-answer.

Ginny went first, before anyone could object. She blurted the first thing that came to mind. "How did you all know where we were?"

Hermione took that one. "Simple really. Do you remember that night in the common room when I told you that you and Malfoy were okay?"

Draco, who'd been looking a bit bored, perked up a bit at this.

Ron just looked incredulous. "You said what?!"

"Nothing," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, the point is that I thought something suspicious might have been going on, so I put a tracking spell on you, just in case. And believe me, when I found out you were missing, I was more than glad."

Ginny mulled that over for a moment. Hermione looked like she half-expected Ginny to be angry with her, but Ginny only smiled. "Me too."

"And me," Draco agreed wholeheartedly.

There was silence for a moment, each person imagining what might have happened if Dumbledore and the rest of them hadn't gotten there when they had. Ginny shivered, and she wasn't the only one.

Pansy might have killed Ginny, Draco might never have been saved…the thought was too awful to dwell on. Even Ron, who had no great love for the Malfoy, had been horrified to see him lying in a pool of his own blood. 

And when the whole story came out about Salazar and the detentions, and how Draco had saved Ginny's life, he actually came the closest to smiling at him that he ever had after sending him death glares for sneaking around Hogwarts at night with his sister. And Draco almost smiled back. Too bad it was more of a smirk.

Ginny even got around to apologizing to Harry for stealing his cloak, though he hadn't ever noticed it. 

Most of the next questions came from Ron, Harry, and Hermione's side, and eventually, as they went through the story, they all wanted to know what it had been like, walking through death. Draco and Ginny described it the best they could, but how can you really tell about something like that? Words just weren't enough.

Then the three of them asked about the potion Ginny had drank. Ginny and Draco took turns describing the challenge to them, explaining where the vial had come from.

As Ginny and Draco described the challenges they had faced, both Harry and Hermione looked puzzled, while Ron just looked extremely green.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked worriedly. "You look like you just ate something disagreeable."

Ron just stared at her. "We thought our challenges were so hard," he finally got out. "Ginny, all we had to do were write reports and do a little research. What you guys had to do…well, we didn't even come close."

Draco's eyes narrowed, and it was Ginny's turn to look disbelieving. "You mean…?" she trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence unsaid.

Hermione nodded. "That would be my guess. If I were you two, I'd have a nice long chat with the Headmaster as soon as possible."

"But," Ginny hesitated. "You think he knew?"

"No. I know he knew. My bet?" she looked at Ginny and Draco, who nodded for her to continue. "He wanted you two to solve the problem for yourselves, but he also wanted to help. So he gave you challenges that would do that for him. Then he couldn't be accused of interfering. Not that many people would blame him…" she trailed off, shrugging. Another mystery, one that might never be solved. 

Draco let out a low whistle. "Well, it certainly explains those weird looks he gave us."

"You noticed them too?" Ginny asked quickly, turning around to face him.

"Noticed them? About as much as a hawk notices a mouse before it goes in for the kill."

More silence. 

Harry was the first to break it. "Oh man, do you guys know what time it is?"

The rest of them except for Hermione looked up at him, but she looked at her watch. "Three o'clock."

"In the morning?" Ron asked.

"No, Weasle, in the afternoon," Draco couldn't help taunting. 

To everyone's surprise, Ron actually laughed. "Yeah, you're right, stupid question."

Draco's brows lifted in surprise. "Damn right."

Ron stood, reaching out to help Hermione to her feet. "I say it's time for bed, we've got classes in the morning."

"Good idea," Draco agreed. "Do you mind if I walk your sister to her common room?"

Ginny watched with baited breath. Had Draco just asked Ron's _permission _to do something with her? Unbelievable. Maybe he was finally starting to come around. But what would her hotheaded brother do?

For a long moment, Ron and Draco, Weasley and Malfoy stood facing each other, staring one another down. Then Ron turned away. "As long as you walk with the rest of us."

"Agreed."

Draco took Ginny's hand with a smile, and together they followed the other three back to Gryffindor tower. As they walked up the last steps, Draco pulled her close and whispered in her ear.

"I love-"

"Don't!" Ginny interrupted.

Draco looked at her, surprised, and a bit hurt. "Why not?"

"Because, every time you've said it so far something horrible has happened right afterwards."

The hurt expression faded, replaced by an ironic smile. "Does that mean I never get to say it?" And just when he was getting used to it too.

"No, it means it's my turn." Moving her mouth until it brushed his ear, she whispered, "I love you Draco."

If Malfoy's could die from pure happiness, Draco thought he would have right then.

They reached the portrait hole, and he couldn't resist any longer. Grinning, Draco swooped down to plant a light kiss on Ginny's lips. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she grinned back.

"He didn't say I couldn't kiss you," he teased softly as Ron began protesting loudly. Hermione hushed him. "And there's more where that came from."

"I'm counting on it," Ginny replied. "But, uh, let's wait for more convenient timing, don't you think?"

"Of course." Draco smiled disarmingly at Ron, winked lazily at Ginny, and walked back down the staircase, leaving one person fuming, one smiling contentedly, and two more trying to keep from laughing.

__

****************************

As Ginny made her way up to the dormitory that night (or morning), Hermione stopped her in the hall with a gentle touch on her arm. 

"You really love him, don't you?"

Ginny paused, smiling. "Yeah, I do." Her gaze clouded, and Hermione knew she was thinking about Draco. Then she continued, "He did save my life after all, so it's only fitting."

Hermione grinned, at once amazed and happy for her friend. Draco Malfoy was the last person she'd have thought Ginny would have fallen for, but… you couldn't help who you fell in love with. All she had to do was look at Ron for proof of that. He could be a goofball, and high tempered, but she loved him all the more. 

She started to tell Ginny good night, but something stopped her. "Oh, Gin, there was something else I was wondering about." She stopped, biting her lip as if unsure whether she should continue or not.

"Well, go on."

"It's just…you told us all about how Slytherin was trying to take control of Draco and everything, and then how at the end Draco was beating him when he stabbed the dagger into his chest…" Hermione trailed off, seeing the look on Ginny's face, but she knew she had to finish. "I was just wondering, what exactly happened to Salazar then? I mean, when Draco came back to life, shouldn't he have just tried to take over him again or something? Instead it was like he'd just disappeared."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. To be honest, she'd never thought that much about it. The past week had been so busy it was almost a blur. Only tonight had she even begun to unravel the truth about the entire episode. Hermione's question brought up a good point. What had happened to Slytherin? And the necklace too, for that matter. She hadn't seen it around Draco's neck in- well, she hadn't seen it since that day. She'd have to ask Draco about it in the morning.

To Hermione, she could say nothing but the truth- that she didn't know- but she promised to tell her as soon as she found out.

When she finally crawled into bed, more than exhausted, her last thought before drifting off to sleep was that she and Draco were going to have a loooong talk tomorrow.

**************************

Draco woke up early the next day, despite the late hours of the night before. He couldn't sleep. Something kept bothering him, but he didn't know what it was. 

With a sigh, he heaved himself out of bed and dressed quietly. He might as well get up if he couldn't sleep anyway. Since it was Sunday, most of the other boys in his dorm were still asleep. Weren't they lucky. 

At first, he just sort of wondered around the castle, but that didn't help very much. There was still something calling to him, something urgent that needed to be done and only he could do. But what was it?

He was still trying to think of the solution when he spotted Ginny coming around a corner ahead of him.

Smiling, his trouble forgotten for the moment, he went forward to meet her.

"Good morning, My Lady," he said playfully, making a show of bowing grandly. 

Ginny couldn't help but laugh. "Good morning, Draco." Her smiling eyes drifted to the spot around his neck where the necklace used to hang, and suddenly Draco sensed a seriousness behind them.

"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately wary.

Ginny glanced up at down the corridor. It was deserted at the moment, but that could change instantly. 

"Can we go outside first?"

Draco nodded and took her hand, then without another word led the way down towards the boulder he liked so much. It didn't matter who saw them now, word traveled like wildfire across the school, and events that were supposed to have been kept silent had already been heard about by everyone. They were classed as a couple now, albeit an odd one, and Draco couldn't have been happier. It was obvious things had changed between him and Ginny again, but this time for the better. It seemed everything was right in the world. _Or almost, _he corrected himself as he glanced over at Ginny's unsmiling face.

They were almost to the lake before he stopped suddenly, realizing that Ginny might not like the spot so well, she had been kidnapped there. But when he turned to look at her, she didn't seem to mind at all. She just shook her head slightly, as if to say it really didn't bother her, and kept walking.

After they settled themselves on top, Draco first, pulling Ginny up behind him, he repeated his question.

"What is it?"

Ginny hesitated, gathering her thoughts and trying to put them into words.

"Well…it's just…I realized that I haven't asked you what happened that day. What happened to the necklace and…and…"

"Slytherin?" he finished for her. 

Ginny nodded. 

Draco reached inside his cloak, searching for something. When he pulled a closed fist out and opened it in front of her eyes, Ginny couldn't have been more surprised at what it held.

The two snakes with ruby eyes stared up at her, a small, dagger sized hole right in the center of the piece. The broken chain lay folded beside them. 

"It must have fell off…down there. I found the pieces in my cloak pocket not long after we got back to school. I don't know who put them there, but I've been carrying them around with me for a few days." he grinned bitterly as he looked down at the reminder of the past months. To think that all his troubles had started with a necklace. Suddenly, the feeling he'd had earlier came rushing back to him full force, and he realized that it was something to do with those pieces that was aggravating him. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the feeling. He had other things to think about.

Then his smile became real as he turned his mind to other matters. "I knew you'd ask about it sooner or later. I wanted to show you to begin with, but I also wanted to see how long it would take you to think to ask."

Ginny blushed, knowing she hadn't been very clever not to think of it sooner, and even now it had been Hermione to remind her of it. Draco laughed even more when she told him that. 

"So that's what happened to the necklace," Ginny accepted, "But what about Slytherin?"

Draco sighed, staring off across the lake and out into the distance. At the light touch of Ginny's hand on his arm he came back to himself, smiling slightly at her. "I've wondered that myself, many times. I've tried to remember, tried to figure out exactly what happened, in the time between when I fought him and when I-" he paused, trying to control the shivers that raced down his back. It was still hard to talk about what had happened. "But I don't really know. All I know is that one moment he was there, the next he was gone. And I haven't felt him again since."

There was a long silence as Ginny digested this, but before she could say anything Draco went on.

"Maybe it has something to do with the necklace," he theorized, glancing down at his closed fist. "Maybe when the dagger pierced it, it somehow destroyed him."

Ginny thought this over. "How…how did you do that anyway? Fight him like you did I mean?"

Draco shrugged, and Ginny was shocked at the blank hard look in his eyes. "I really don't know," he told her finally. "All I knew was that I couldn't let him hurt you. When I realized I couldn't stop the dagger from moving, that I didn't have the strength for it, I just made it change directions instead. 

"I've thought about this for awhile, and I think that when I turned his own strength against him is when I really won the battle. In a way, it was like when he- or we, I should say- destroyed the necklace, he destroyed himself. The necklace was his whole existence. Without it he was nothing."

Ginny was silent, staring down at Draco's hand, clenched tightly around the pieces as his eyes clouded. He was remembering that day, Ginny was certain of it. And suddenly she was afraid for him. He shouldn't spend the rest of his life clutching a broken chain and a silver pendant and remembering. It was over and done with, it was all in the past, and it was time to move on.

Just like her uncertainty about him was, she realized. She knew everything she needed to know now. He loved her, and she loved him. She'd told him as much the night before. 

Gently, she took his hand in hers and pulled his fingers apart. He jumped slightly, startled back into reality, but remained still as she took the pieces from his hand and placed them in her own. 

"I don't think we need this anymore, do you?"

Draco shook his head mutely. 

"Good." With a smile, Ginny stood up and hurled the pieces as far out into the lake as she could. 

They landed with a soft "plop" and then sank silently beneath the surface. 

As soon as they disappeared, Draco felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. So that was what had been bothering him. 

He grinned up at Ginny as she sat down beside him.

"Thanks."

"No problem," she grinned back. 

Silence. 

Then, "So what do you suppose we do now?"

"I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"Do you really want to know?" Draco asked lightly, a devilish gleam in his eye. 

"Positive," Ginny replied, her eyes sparkling. 

"Well, okay…" Draco mumbled in a warning tone, right before his lips met hers gently, then harder as they both strove to get closer to one another. Tongue on tongue, lips pressed against lips, they were soon lying on the boulder more than sitting. 

In that moment, as he kissed her, Draco had never felt so alive in all his life. It was a wonderful feeling, something he hoped he'd have time to enjoy again and again. Just the feel and taste of her was enough to drive any warm-blooded man crazy.

Ginny was thinking pretty much along the same lines. She raked her fingers through his hair, wondering at the silky texture of it. She had never felt so safe, so protected as she did at that moment, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. This was the stuff dreams were made of. 

Neither one of them realized how close they were to the edge until a voice rang out in the silence of the morning, shattering the piece and making both of them jump guiltily. It also made them roll of the side.

They landed in a tangle of arms and legs, and Ginny's long hair was twisted around both of them. At first, they were quiet in shock, but then there eyes met and they burst into laughter. 

They might have gone back to kissing again (no scratch that, Draco would _definitely_ started snogging her senseless again) if it weren't for the sound of someone clearing there throat on the other side of the bushes. 

Draco rolled his eyes and Ginny sighed, but after a moment they managed to untangle themselves enough to get up and see who their unwelcome visitor was. 

A young boy with a Gryffindor emblem on his cloak stood there; he couldn't have been more than a second year at the most. 

"Well, what is it?" Draco asked impatiently, raking his hand through his hair as he glowered intimidating at the boy.

Surprisingly, the first or second year held his ground. "Are you Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley?"

They nodded.

The boy grinned in relief. "Good, I found you first."

Draco and Ginny just looked confused.

"Everyone's looking for you two," the boy explained importantly. "Dumbledore just announced that the winner's of the challenge needed to come receive their prizes."

When the couple continued to look mystified, the boy rolled his eyes in mock despair. "You know, the challenge thingy? You two are the winners. Headmaster just announced it at breakfast and now everyone's waiting for you to come collect your prize."

Draco and Ginny exchanged glances, then Ginny grinned and jumped up excitedly. "You heard the man, let's go." 

"Can't we just…stay here?" Draco moaned.

"Come on." Ginny tugged on his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go see what old Dumbledore's got in store for us now."

**************************

The Great Hall was still full when they arrived. It seemed everyone was waiting to see what sort of prize they would get. It was obvious by now to everyone that they were getting something more than a hundred points to each of their houses. 

Walking to the front, hand in hand, Ginny and Draco both were amazed to hear the sudden cheering that went up from the students. Apparently, their fellow students were taking the pairing of Gryffindor and Slytherin much better than expected. 

Ginny smiled shyly, but Draco seemed to be soaking the attention up. He didn't grin outright, but his familiar smirk was back in place, and his walk became more of a swagger. Ginny rolled her eyes at the sight, but said nothing.

Dumbledore was waiting for them with a huge smile on his face. Not even Draco could help smiling back, just a little. 

As soon as the applause stopped, Dumbledore began speaking. "Congratulations to both of you. You've made your houses proud."

Under the cover of more applause, he added softly, "And you preformed admirably on your first and last challenge, I must say."

"What?" Draco asked, before it sank in. Slytherin. He was talking about Slytherin. "You mean you _planned_ all that?"

"Of course not," Dumbledore assured him. "But once I found out about it, it seemed a better challenge than anything I could have thought of." Then he winked. 

He winked, while Draco and Ginny stood there speechless. He had known all along and he hadn't stopped it, hadn't tried to help? What was wrong with the old man?

"He better have had a good reason for that," Draco muttered mutinously to Ginny as they listened to Dumbledore add 100 points to each of their houses. "We could both have been killed." 

Ginny started to nod her head in agreement, but then she thought of something. "I think he did."

Draco snapped his head around to stare at her, and saw the now familiar twinkle in her eyes. "Oh really. And what reason is that?"

"Us." She smiled at him then, and though they were in front of dozens of students and staff, and although it would probably ruin his reputation for life, Draco smiled back with everything he had.

Right up until Dumbledore presented them their extra prize. Small, silver chained necklaces with the Hogwart's emblem on them. Including a snake with ruby eyes.

"No _freaking_ way." 

__

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The End

A/N: Well, there it is, I finally finished it. Whew. And I gave you all an especially long chapter to end with. And I mean _long! _So what about that ending? That has to be the most tactless thing Dumbledore has ever done, don't ya think? I just think it made for a cute ending. And by the way, that was Draco speaking at the end, just in case you couldn't guess. There might be a sequel to this, but I don't know. I'll have to think on it. Do you guys want one? Let me know what you think in a review please, I really appreciate them. I think I wrapped up any unanswered questions in this chapter, but if I didn't, either leave a review or email me and I'll get back to you with an answer. I've got it all in my head, even if some of it didn't manage to get put in writing. Thanks!


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